


Amongst the Stars

by TsunadesApprentice



Category: Dragon Ball
Genre: F/M, Romance, Smut
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-03
Updated: 2021-02-03
Packaged: 2021-03-14 20:27:24
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 29,881
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29177160
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TsunadesApprentice/pseuds/TsunadesApprentice
Summary: Bardock and Gine were two souls lost in the depravity that had taken over Vegetasei under the rule of Lord Frieza. Follow their story as they find each other, fall in love and start a family that will one day lead to the downfall of their tyrannical ruler and the salvation of the universe. BardockxGine, Lemon, M/F, fluff, romance and humour.
Relationships: Bardock/Gine (Dragon Ball)
Comments: 8
Kudos: 6





	1. Chapter 1: Present day

**Author's Note:**

> I just realised that several of my (abandoned) stories were only over on FFnet. This is one I'd love to finish some day (but we all know about that magical 'some day', right?), so I though't id share it here.

* * *

Gine sat down at the table of her large and too empty kitchen, Raditz tucked against her as he slept, and eyed the folded print out where it lay on the cold, white surface.

She had asked the medic not to inform her of the results but to simply hand her the hard copy instead. Then she had left without looking at it.

That had been over 10 hours ago and still she hadn't looked.

The paper, by now, was crumpled and crushed from where she had handled it several times during the day, gripping it tight, desperate to know and yet too afraid to look.

She already knew what it would say, anyway.

Two weeks ago Bardock had left on yet another mission for the PTO. The target planet itself was low risk-high value and as a result, the purge was expected to take less than a week. But the distance to the planet was estimated to be 2 and a half to three months of travel. Each way.

Her mate was going to be gone for _six months._

Despite herself, Gine felt her eyes sting and tears began to well. She looked up at the ceiling, blinking, trying to ignore the paper on the table and control her tears. She wouldn't cry. She _wouldn't!_

It wasn't as if Bardock wasn't gone most of the time anyway. That was life and she should be more than used to it by now. But this was different: she wouldn't see him at all, in all that time.

And this was really bad timing.

Releasing a shuddering breath she turned her eyes toward her son. The tiny bundle of warmth was fast asleep and she allowed herself to stroke his hair, safe in the knowledge that nothing disturbed her little warrior once he was asleep. She could touch his face and hair, his tiny hands and simply indulge in being a mother all night long without him ever being aware of it.

She certainly couldn't do it during the day.

At nearly 5 years old, Raditz had already grown so much from the tiny baby she'd carried. He was already training with the other children his age and the small but firm muscles that lined his tiny body were testament to that. Already he could fly and gather ki. It would only be a couple more years until he, too, got sent out into the vast expanse of space.

But he was still her baby and in the quiet moments like this, when no one was around to see, she refused to treat him as anything else. Refused to act like the brutal, loveless saiyan she should be.

Gine knew she was strange, different. Other saiyans didn't seem to care about their children once they were born. Some few raised their children themselves, if they had the means and desire to allow them to do so, although that was usually for prestige, but for most saiyans having children was a burden. In many cases the males didn't stick around long enough to know they'd even fathered a child, especially in the lower echelons of society, and, even if they did, most saiyans refused long term relationships out of hand and couldn't afford to not work. Children were born and placed in natal pods, either in the mother's home or, most commonly, at the medical centre. At three years or so the toddlers were removed and the vast majority were given immediately into the care of the Army's training academy.

There were simply too few saiyans left to easily allow for mothers to stop taking missions to raise a child for any longer than was required by the pregnancy. On the other hand, childbearing was encouraged in an effort to increase the population. It was seen as an important responsibility and as such, provisions were made to allow saiyan women to do so without it impacting their ability to return to active duty as soon as they were physically able to do so. For the few who chose not to return to the purge teams, reassignment was typical. Any army needed support personnel after all.

Gine had never imagined being able to keep her child. All her life she had wanted children but as a lower Third Class she wasn't in a position where such luxuries were afforded to her. She was a nobody in saiyan society.

Then, one day, she had been assigned to Bardock's team. It was a joke and they all knew it. Like all saiyans she was expected to carry out 5 years of mandatory service on the purge teams before she could ask for reassignment. Most saiyans would, of course, never even consider asking for that reassignment, spending their entire lives travelling from planet to planet, destroying as they went. For Gine though, it had taken less than a year for it to become clear that surviving those 5 years would take a miracle. And she'd hated every minute of the purges, hated having to take lives on the whim of a leader she didn't know.

Gine simply _wasn't_ a warrior. It didn't matter that she was saiyan. It didn't matter that she had been trained from the day she was removed from her pod and given into the custody of the trainers. She simply couldn't function well enough on a battlefield. She lacked the strength, the fighting sense and, more than anything, the will to harm another being. She didn't belong amongst a warrior species and was shunned by her teammates as a result.

More than once she'd taken life threatening injuries and barely survived, and being left behind on a planet by her team wasn't an unfamiliar experience either. Fortunately nobody had ever thought to send her empty pod back to Vegetasei without her, and she had managed each time to somehow make her way back; bruised, bloody but somehow still alive.

Being assigned to Bardock's team had simply been the next failure waiting to happen, or so she'd thought. She'd never expected anything different to what she'd experienced before.

Instead of her expectations however, the angry, sharp eyed man had somehow, inexplicably, turned her life upside down and made her reevaluate all of the expectations she'd ever had of her future.

Not that that meant that their first encounter had ever been anything short of painful in its awkwardness. He had clearly had no desire to have a new teammate and neither had his team - just as she'd had no desire to be assigned to them. But orders were orders. Even from a distance his sheer, imposing appearance had been enough to make her balk and with every step closer she had begun to tremble more and more.

It seemed that he had noticed her presence too, for, even through the crowd, his eyes had locked onto her and he'd broken off his conversation with his team to turn in her direction.

Upon reaching him she had had to fight all of her instincts to make eye contact with him. Or at least to attempt to. Gine was shy, an unusual trait in a saiyan, and the man in front of her had exuded enough dominance that she had practically been able to feel it on her skin.

Finally, as the awkwardness grew, she had managed to drag her eyes up to meet his and…

… everything stopped.

Perhaps for a second, perhaps for an hour.

She still didn't know, but at that moment when they had first made eye contact Gine had been struck dumb. Her mouth had been slightly open, the introduction she'd been about to give dead on the tip of her tongue and her hands, which had been balled into tight fists at her sides, had gone slack.

At the time Bardock had seemed unaffected, but she knew from conversations they'd had in the intervening years that he'd felt it too. That lightning bolt.

A sneered greeting from one of the others had snapped them both out of it and, eyes fixed firmly back on the ground, Gine had managed to grit out an introduction. Bardock had simply scoffed at her and, as she hunched in on herself, he had turned and led the way to the space pods. He hadn't said his first words to her until months later when they had arrived on that first planet.

Not one of them had been kind.

But what had become clear to Gine in the following missions, was that though Bardock was neither kind nor friendly towards her, he wasn't going to leave her behind as some of her previous captains had done, and he also wasn't going to send her out alone knowing she wouldn't survive. She was a burden to him but he was a decent person, if ruthless.

More than half a dozen missions and a year later, Gine had finally plucked up the courage to hunt Bardock down while he was at home. It had terrified her more than meeting him the first time and as she stood outside his door, hands clasped nervously before her, she had wondered if she might vomit. But she hadn't been willing to back down. She _was_ a burden and it was time to change that. She had been sure her captain wouldn't say no.

Bardock had opened his door at last, and she found herself staring at his bare chest. She sometimes forgot just how much taller than her he was but standing there at eye level with his bare sternum made her want to cower at the power difference between them.

She'd taken in the small gadget clutched in his hand, the well defined muscles of his chest and the deep, displeased scowl on his face. Licking her lips in an effort to free her voice, she couldn't help but notice how his eyes trailed the nervous movement.

"I'm sorry, Captain. I need your help." she'd stammered. The tall male had simply continued to stare at her. He was never talkative with her, not like he was with their team mates. But he didn't dismiss her, so she swallowed her nerves and continued.

"I… I need to train, Captain, and… I can't do it alone. Please sir, will you train me?" the last words were barely more than a whisper but she knew he heard them.

His knuckles turned white where they gripped the doorframe and he looked her up and down, assessing her. He already knew her weaknesses but in that moment he had been considering them far more carefully.

"5 a.m. tomorrow. Training ground 6." Without another word he had shut the door on her.

Gine had slumped with relief as his presence, so overbearing and powerful, moved away and she felt a small smile creep onto her face.

Her captain was scary and cold but he was a good man. She'd never had enough trust in any of her former teammates or commanders to ask for help in any way, but she had known that Bardock would agree, if only for the wellbeing of his team.

Gine had barely slept that night and as the first sun had crept over the horizon she had made her way to the training ground. She had just finished her stretches when her very sleep ruffled captain landed before her. His eyes were slightly bleary and the faint flush on his cheeks had made him seem a little softer than usual. Until he started putting her through drills, that was.

He growled and barked orders at her, making her work until her limbs trembled from the exertion and her eyes stung with sweat.

He had corrected her stance throughout, attentive and pushy, leaving her no room for mistakes and making her repeat everything until she got it right.

It had only lasted two hours, though it felt like days, and by the end of it Gine had barely been able to drag herself to the mess for breakfast.

From that day on, that had become a routine. Whenever they were on-world they had met at the same time and the same place, without fail. When they were off-world things were considerably harder but Bardock insisted on making her continue their training whenever the opportunity presented itself.

Sometimes he put her through drills, sometimes they sparred, but she never left in anything less than agony.

With time it had started to pay off.

Though Gine knew she would never match the other saiyans, the sparring she had done with her captain had honed her reflexes, the drills had built up muscle and her own sheer determination not to fail her captain who was investing so much time and effort into her, had given her the drive she needed to bite down on her own soft-heartedness.

More than that though, Bardock had begun coaching her in other ways. Though he rarely called her on it in public, the second they were on that training ground he would snap at her to school her expressions, point out the soft hearted things she said and tell her how to act, how to speak to make herself seem more like the others.

And she understood in those moments that he wasn't telling her to stop being herself but he was trying to teach her to shield herself from the cruelty and ostracisation she had suffered all of her life.

She knew because, on their few rest days, he began to not simply disappear after sessions. He began to sit with her as she gulped down water or caught her breath and allowed her to simply talk. She had been hesitant at first but after months and months of training she had become more relaxed around him, at least when it was just the two of them. In those stolen moments he had never commented on her expressions, on her speech, on the tears that would occasionally gather in her eyes. She might have thought he had been ignoring her, but he wouldn't have stayed if that had been the case.

When their training was done, she had been able to simply be herself.

Somewhere along the line, those training sessions and the fleeting moments after had become as essential to her as breathing. They gave her the tools she needed to form tentative bonds with her teammates and even others outside of her team. They gave her the skills to survive amongst the heartless race she called her own.

They gave her a release, while they were sparring, for the pounding ache that had formed under her skin that nothing else seemed to ease.

She'd been able to ignore the feelings growing inside her for her spiky haired captain and the way her blood heated if he ever accidentally brushed against her. She'd convinced herself that it was nothing but loneliness and hormones - even low class saiyans weren't interested in someone like _her_ after all, and she'd never been with a man, never had those urges fed. That's all it was. It couldn't be any more when her senior saw her as barely more than a nuisance.

Then _that_ mission had happened.

* * *


	2. 2: 7 years 2 months ago

* * *

_7 Years, 2 Months Ago_

Gine couldn't remember what the name of the planet had been but she could remember with crystal clarity how she had been hit by a stray energy blast that had sent her careening into a half destroyed building. She had been about to heave herself back up, despite the pain, when Bardock who never left her side while on purges, had thrown his opponent through the air and the creature had collided with the same building, several floors above her. Dazed as she was by her own impact, Gine hadn't been able to move in time and, before she could make it even halfway out, the whole building - the whole skyscraper - had come down atop her.

Several seconds of panic had followed before the sound of screaming metal and crashing stone had faded into near silence. She had been alive and awake, conscious of the continued battle raging on outside but blinded by the utter darkness around her.

Biting back her scream she had thought back to every time Bardock had growled at her to school her features, her tone of voice. Had imagined what distracting him at this moment might lead to. It had taken every ounce of self control that she had, but she managed to stay silent.

* * *

With her hands and tail she began to explore around her, probing at the darkness and suppressing a quivering whimper as she realised just how tiny a space she was in. She was on her side, her back pressed against a jagged slab of stone that dug in uncomfortably and, with every panicked breath she took, her breasts pressed against the jumbled heap of stone and metal in front of her. Over her there was enough space to stretch up her arm almost to the point of straightening it, though she was able to tell that the space was narrow and slanted. That was all bad enough but the most terrifying part was her legs: they were both trapped and she could barely feel them. Oh, she was able to feel as she touched them with her hands but there was no pain - a worrying realisation as her hand ended up covered with a significant amount of blood. She was going into shock.

She tried to dislodge the rubble above her but only succeeded in showering herself in dust and small bits of debris. Another push brought the 'ceiling' down, almost to crushing her. Tears streamed down her face as the realisation dawned on her of just how massive the building had been and how she'd been at the very bottom. There was no way she was getting out of this on her own.

As the battle continued on outside doubts began to creep in. Getting her out from here would be no small task, not without crushing herself in the process and she wasn't sure she had the ki to shield herself should it come to that, especially with the slow growing effect of the blood loss. Would Bardock even bother to help her or would he deem it too much effort for someone who barely contributed to what was otherwise a highly effective team?

…

But he had dug her out.

It had taken hours.

She didn't know how or even why he had done it - to this day. But he had.

* * *

She honestly couldn't decide what was better: the clean, fresh air or his glowering face as he finally unearthed her but the relief - and pain - as he pulled her out of her tiny hole in a forceful yank, threatened to make her cry and only the fury in his eyes stopped her.

He practically dropped her on top of the pile of rubble and wordlessly set about checking her for injuries. He was clearly both too angry and too exhausted to talk to her at that moment but his fingers were gentle as they roved across her left calf, checking on the cut there and the clearly broken bone beneath.

Finally looking her in the eye he growled out "Why is it always you?" His voice was almost unintelligible and she knew that he must have been even more exhausted than he looked.

"I'm going to have to carry you back to the pods. Can you stand?" His words were harsh with anger but her heart ached at the realisation that he really wasn't going to leave her behind. She nodded and soon found herself climbing onto his back as he crouched down in front of her.

The hike back to their pods took until the next afternoon because of their exhaustion and, as the miles and the pain passed, she became acutely aware of just how closely she was pressed against him. Every time he readjusted his grip on her, she felt the shift of his muscles against her chest and thighs and, as if that wasn't enough to have her blushing despite the blood loss, as her tail drooped in exhaustion, the hyper-sensitive appendage kept coming into contact with his own.

The first time had him stiffening beneath her, an almost inaudible growl rumbling through him that really only made matters worse and resulted in a whimper escaping her that was only half caused by fear.

Biting her lip in an attempt to regain some control, she quickly wound her tail back around her waist and tried to force down the blush that was setting her face to burning.

A couple of hours later she awoke to find that she'd been happily nuzzling his neck in her sleep and - oh please let the ground swallow her up! - she'd been drooling on his shoulder. On her captain's shoulder!

Could this day get any worse, she wondered when a sudden jolt ran up her spine and she realised, somewhere between humiliation, shock and awe that her tail had drooped for the umpteenth time but that this time, her prickly, cold as ice captain had wrapped it in his own, longer tail and was gently holding it.

She squeaked with shock, drawing his attention and, with a faint blush staining his own cheeks he muttered something about brambles. A perfectly good explanation, except that there wasn't a blade of grass in sight, let alone the telltale snarl of a bramble bush.

Feeling just a little bit emboldened, maybe by the the exhaustion tugging at her, the scent of the male beneath her or because of the careful, gentle way in which his tail was wrapped around hers, Gine leaned in to press a gentle kiss against the warrior's neck before settling back down to sleep. She barely even noticed the soft chuckle rumbling out of her enigmatic captain as she drifted off.

* * *

Waking up in the rejuvenation tanks wasn't an unfamiliar occurrence to Gine and she took it in stride, pleased at how her leg was already fully healed and every trace of her unfortunate last mission had been erased.

The medic informed her that she had another three rest days before her team was to be shipped out again.

Gine made her way home to a shower and some dinner before collapsing into bed. But her traitorous body wasn't at all tired. It remembered too well the movement of Bardock's well built body as it had shifted against her own as he carried her. She could still feel the rumbling vibrations of his back on the few times he had spoken to her and the firm but gentle grip of his hands under her knees as he carried her mile after mile.

She wasn't some beast in heat but _oh_ , those feelings had awakened something inside of her that she'd been ignoring for far too long. Her mind and body both were determined to replay every moment, every wonderful shift of muscle and every sensuous brush of his tail against hers. Even the scent of him wouldn't leave her alone. Even after more than two days in the healing tank and a shower, the scent of him was all over her.

Alone in her apartment she stroked herself to a shuddering orgasm, trying desperately to find some relief from the memories tormenting her.

As the first hint of daylight crept through her window, Gine finally admitted defeat: she wasn't going to get any sleep and the frustration that had been riding her all night was showing no sign of easing off. With a groan she untangled herself from the mess of sheets, dressed and headed to her usual training ground.

It was empty, of course. It was barely even four thirty. Still, she settled into her routine, finding comfort in the familiar rhythm and the ache of straining muscles. It was exactly what she needed but not at all what she wanted.

Around her, the other training grounds eventually began filling up and she realised just how long she'd been there. Alone.

She tried to swallow the thought of Bardock in bed with another female. Tried to but failed. He'd had countless partners in the time that she'd known him, just as any saiyan, male _or_ female should have had. But Gine had stopped trying to pretend that she was normal, at least to herself.

The image of her captain fucking another woman, and it would be fucking, was enough to make her lose her appetite.

Loath to return to her apartment she made her way through the markets. Despite the bustle of movement, the colours, the sounds and the scents, she was blind to it all. The markets were usually a safe haven for her; a space filled with species from all over the Icejin empire where, even though they were on Vegetasei, saiyans were in the minority and the vendors didn't frown at her for looking at items other saiyans would scoff at. That day it was simply more sensation to scrape at her already fraying nerves.

She couldn't remember how she'd made it through the day but she saw the world with crystal clarity as she now stood in front of her captain's door once more.

Despite having returned home to shower and change as the afternoon faded into evening, she could feel her skin become clammy with sweat. Wringing her fingers, she tried desperately to steady her breathing and stop herself from trembling. She was a grown woman and she should act like one!

There was no shame in being here, or at least there wouldn't be if she'd been anyone but herself.

Taking a deep breath, still filled with the scent of him even after yet another shower, she steeled herself and knocked firmly on his door.

The ensuing wait seemed to last an eternity. What if he wasn't in? What if he _was_ in? What if he was _in_ but had a… guest?

What if she vomited on his doorstep? _That_ was seeming more and more likely with every frantic beat of her heart.

With a click, the door opened revealing a darkened room with only a spotlight to light a cluttered desk and an irritable looking man in just his black underlayer, his armour discarded while he was off duty.

She had to crane her neck to look him in the eye and she used the movement to clasp her hands behind her back to hide them from his sight.

"Hi!" she chirped, in her happiest voice, praying he didn't hear the tremble.

Bardock simply scowled in response but didn't move to shut the door.

She saw a gleam appear in his eyes as he inhaled her scent - _his_ scent. And she wondered if she was imagining the faint trace of her own scent still lingering on him.

"Can I come in?" she asked, keeping her voice light and cheerful as she bounced slightly on her toes, leaning towards him slightly.

For an instant she thought he was about to turn her away, but he finally pushed the door further open and turned sideways to allow her to pass beneath his arm and into his domain.

Walking in she took in the small but well outfitted room. Next to the door was a separate bathroom but the remaining space was open. In one corner, against the wall to the bathroom, stood the bed, large enough for a man of his size to… stretch out… Along the opposite wall was the desk she had seen from the doorway and a small kitchenette. Small circular windows ran the length of the wall. The final wall was bare but for a small cupboard and diagrams showing electrical circuits and blow-up diagrams of various gadgets that had been pinned up almost haphazardly.

The room was clean and generally organised but for the slightly rumpled bed, the single empty beer bottle on the tiny kitchen counter and the jumbled desk.

His smell was everywhere and it was good enough to set her tail to twitching.

Gine turned to find him leaning against the bathroom wall at the foot of the bed, watching her from shadowed eyes.

"You shouldn't be here, Gine." His voice was restrained but she could hear the edge in it, feel the tension rolling off him as he stood with his arms crossed over his broad chest.

"You weren't at the training ground this morning…" She left the question unasked, not sure if she even wanted the answer.

"I didn't know you were out. I didn't get the report until after breakfast." A perfectly good response for all that it told her nothing.

Gine looked down, focusing on his feet. "Thank you." The words came out quieter than she'd intended but the room was quiet enough that she could hear his breathing. She met his eyes again, "Thank you for saving me. For not leaving me behind."

A small, mocking huff of laughter. "Haven't you noticed by now that I don't leave my teammates behind?" It was a challenge and she knew it. But…

"I'm not like them." There it was, the cold hard truth.

She trembled again as he moved towards her, moving with a predator's smoothness until he was standing just a breath away from her. She heard him inhale her scent again before he scoffed quietly to himself once more, a small, bitter smirk on his lips.

She didn't know what to say or do but a moment later, before she had time to worry over it, he moved away, brushing past her to take up the seat at the desk, a small computronic device in one hand, a fine tipped soldering iron in the other and his back to her as he resumed his work.

She didn't know what to make of it. Should she leave? He hadn't asked her to and she didn't exactly want to, but… He hunched over his work, having seemingly forgotten her, or at least having decided to ignore her.

Gine turned, taking in the diagrams on the wall beside her. She didn't know anything about them and couldn't even identify what exactly she was looking at but she perused them all the same, giving herself an excuse to loiter.

A strange scent hit her nose at that moment and she turned around to see a small trail of white smoke rising from the work desk, though his shoulders blocked her line of sight to what he was doing.

Her curiosity piqued, Gine crept over on silent feet, careful not to alert her intent captain. Leaning over his shoulder slightly to see what he was doing, her attention was momentarily caught by the strong line of his neck. In a flood, memories of her face pressed against the soft skin there rushed over her. His skin had been so hot against her cheek, his pulse feather soft against her lips as she had pressed a kiss against it.

Pulling herself out of her memories before they heated her blood any more than they already had, she moved her eyes to his hands. With careful fingers he positioned a tiny piece of circuitry onto the green board in his hands. She knew nothing about electronics but she could see that it was an intricate piece and she watched, enraptured, as his fingers moved confidently over the components and boards before he deftly soldered the latest piece in place. Then the next.

"Why are you here, Gine?"

With a jolt she shot up right, only now realising that she had put her hand and then her chin on his shoulder as she watched him work, utterly entranced by the way her strong, powerful captain could work so delicately. Still, her hand rested on his shoulder.

"I -"

She didn't know what to say. She didn't know the words to explain what she wanted, nor if she even had the courage to ask for it.

She started curling her fingers into her hand, his shoulder firm beneath her fingertips, but before she could pull her hand away, before she could stutter about how it was a mistake to have come, Bardock moved in a lightning fast movement, taking her hand in his where it lay on his shoulder. His eyes bored into her from where he looked back and up at her. The look he gave her was intense and it set her heart to racing all over again.

She hesitated for a second and his eyes flashed. Before she could react he had pulled her hand forward, pulling her off balance and sending her stumbling towards him. She would have gasped if her lips hadn't crashed into his in that moment.

His lips, she realised, were fuller than she'd ever allowed herself to imagine them to be and she delighted in the feel of them for the instant that it took her startled mind to catch up.

Oh god. He was going to _kill_ her!

She moved to pull away but he tugged again on her hand before her lips had made it even an inch away from his, and before she could blink her lips were back on his and his lips were moving against hers in a slow caress.

It was the most awful, ridiculous position! She was completely off balance and at risk of falling over. And it was perfect. Absolutely, thoroughly perfect.

It couldn't have lasted more than about 10 seconds but they were the most wonderful seconds of her life so far.

As he finally broke the kiss, Gine dared to open her eyes. Their noses were still touching lightly as her eyes met his once more and it was a look that set her tail to quivering.

She watched, wide eyed as he scanned her face, noticing the blush of her cheeks, tracing the outline of her still parted lips, watching the sharp rise and fall of her breasts before rising back up to meet her eyes.

He swivelled his chair around so that he was directly in front of her and tugged a third time at the hand he still had in his gentle fingers.

She could have resisted, had she had the willpower, but this was exactly what she'd hoped for in coming here, even if she'd never in a million years expected it. So she let him pull her into his lap until she was straddling him. He was enormous underneath her, his hips at least twice as wide as hers, and it made her breath catch.

His free hand slid to her waist while his other pulled her captive hand to his mouth, pressing feather light kisses to her fingertips before entwining his fingers with hers.

Guiding her with the hand on her waist, Bardock drew her in for another kiss that set her blood to racing.

What did it mean that he was being so gentle with her? She'd heard the talk - he was a skilled lover but he was known to be rough with his partners. They never left unsatisfied but for a man to have a reputation for roughness amongst saiyans, well…

But here she was, cradled in his lap as he kissed her in an unhurried, indulgent way that had her toes and tail curling.

That thought had her brushing her tail up his side in silent request as she tentatively deepened the kiss, her hand cupping his jaw in a way that was probably more possessive than was permitted for someone of her rank but, as his tail wrapped around her own in a caress that made her moan against his lips, he allowed it, angling his head in just the way she wanted it.

He pulled his hand from hers and slid it down her back until it sat, splayed at the bottom of her ribcage. Her own hand braced itself against his chest as she leaned into him.

Kissing him was like a lesson in self indulgence and she let her hands wander over his upper body, feeling the hard muscle beneath.

Moving her hips forward, trying desperately to press her chest and body closer to him, she felt the bulging hardness of his manhood pressing into the vee of her thighs and she moaned again, throwing her head back. He didn't stop his lips though, trailing them down her throat in lingering, open mouthed kisses.

Did he know? No, he _couldn't_ know that this was - that she'd never -

She rolled her hips against him again, wanting to feel him pressing into her most sensitive region.

Bardock groaned beneath her and she felt herself grow wet in response.

She reclaimed his lips as she continued to grind against him and he slipped his tongue into her mouth.

Oh that tongue… she had fantasised about that tongue…

His hand found its way under her top and to the underside of her breast, stroking and caressing as it went.

Gine arched her back, wanting to shift his attention to her nipple. The motion didn't go unnoticed and, with a smirk against her lips, he began to circle the tight bud, occasionally scraping across the taut bundle of nerves.

Combined with the press of his hardened member, it was enough to make Gine orgasm, though she tried not to show it as she writhed atop him.

But of course, they were saiyans and he could smell it on her, could feel it in the convulsions of her tail.

With a grin he slid his other hand under her top and pulled it off over her head.

Bardock licked his lips at the sight of her exposed breasts. With a jolt, he hoisted her out of the seat and, a couple of steps later, lowered her onto the bed below him.

In long, slow, possessive strokes he slid his hands over her bare torso, then lowered his head to her nipple, taking it into his mouth and lapping at it in smooth, steady strokes.

More. She wanted more and as she arched her back to push her breasts harder against him, she pulled his skin tight top off and dumped it atop her own beside the bed.

She took a moment to admire the half naked body atop her before she began to trace the outlines of his muscles.

Bardock wasn't known for taking the same woman to his bed more than once so Gine decided that, for tonight, she wouldn't be meek or timid. She would make it count.

He released her nipple with a last tug before switching to the other one and she buried her fingers in his hair at the feeling.

But she wanted more - she wanted those shorts off him!

Gine scratched her nails down his back in a move that earned her an approving nip to the underside of her breast and his abs rumbled in a satisfied moan where they rubbed against her womanhood.

She hooked her thumbs into those damn shorts and started sliding them down, but it was hard. He was so much bigger than her that, trapped as she was, she really didn't have the reach to push them very far.

He chuckled at her annoyed mewl and lifted his mouth from her breast to make eye contact.

For an instant, nothing else mattered, not even the press of his hardness against her crotch. The look in his eyes was intense and, for a moment, even joyful. He flashed her a cocky grin before climbing off the bed and removing his shorts with quick, efficient movements. Barely an eye blink later, hers were gone too in a gentle scrape of his fingers down her legs. He never once broke eye contact until both of them were bared.

Neither of them was wearing underwear.

She spread her legs for him as he used his tail to caress the sensitive skin behind her knee and the inner surface of her thigh. She gasped at the sensation of the appendage stroking over her core in luxurious, teasing strokes, but she didn't look away from his face.

His eyes were still locked on the path traced by his tail, his breath coming in soft pants and saliva glistened on his lips from where he had again licked them.

Never had she seen him so unguarded. The look of hunger in his eyes made her wonder again: what she was seeing here didn't match with his reputation at all. Unlike some males, Bardock was known for pleasuring his partners. Thoroughly. It was what made him so popular amongst the females. But he was most certainly not known for being gentle or taking things slow. And yet that was exactly what he was doing now. He was exploring her, just as she wanted to explore him.

Gine cried out under that predatory gaze as his tail spread the folds of her wetness, rubbing delightfully against her clit as his tip pushed just barely inside of her. She saw his cock twitch in response to the sound and realised just how large it was. She didn't know what was typical or normal but Bardock was a tall man while she barely reached past the base of his sternum and he weighed at least twice what she did. And he was certainly… well proportioned.

She watched as it twitched again and a small bead of liquid appeared on its tip. Before she could talk herself out of it, Gine sat up and slid to the side of the bed, her legs spread on either side of him as she took his length into her hand.

His tail hadn't left its position between her legs and it continued to work her in slow, indulgent strokes. She let his rhythm guide her own exploration. Her own tail wound itself around his leg, twining with his where it's length lay against his thigh in a caress that was as intimate as the touch of her hand against his member or the teasing strokes against her clit that had her breath coming in short, pleasured gasps.

His manhood was rock-solid beneath her fingers though the skin was soft in a way she hadn't expected. Using her thumb to spread the bead of viscous liquid across his tip, she heard him groan as he slid the fingers of one hand into her hair.

She had already decided to be bold, to take advantage of this one night with him. It wasn't as if she'd be getting another. So she swallowed her nerves and took him into her mouth

And oh, he tasted good.

She laved her tongue over his broad tip, savouring the feel of him, then took him in deeper.

It only lasted an instant before he pulled her off him. She tried in vain to hold on to his thighs but only ended up scratching them instead.

A breath of a laugh as he came down to his knees in front of her, his tail finally stopping in its task. He ducked his head further to come down to eye level with her. His eyes flicked from her mouth to meet her stare as he came close enough that their breaths mingled and their noses touched. There was a cocky smirk on his lips.

"Little Gine has claws after all," he purred, chuckling.

With a scowl she shoved at his broad chest. He didn't budge at all but she didn't withdraw her hands. He was mocking her and they both knew it. She couldn't compare to a saiyan woman any better in the sheets than she could on the battlefield.

But as his lips dipped back to hers she couldn't deny that he seemed to be enjoying this, too.

She moaned again as he pushed her back down onto the bed and put his mouth on her wetness. She swore she saw stars with the first flick of his tongue and, their tails entwining once more, she came with the third lick.

His mouth was hot as a brand as it made its way up her body and she didn't resist as he urged her further onto the bed.

She moaned into the kiss as his tongue slipped into her mouth, across her teeth and over her tongue. She wanted to taste him, savour him.

She felt the rigid length of him pressing against her thigh and shifted slightly to accommodate him more comfortably.

She let out a strangled sound, half gasp half moan, as she felt the blunt head of his shaft begin to slide into her. He was big, at least for her small body, but she bit down on her wince of pain and instead focused on the intense pleasure coursing through her. Her breasts were crushed between them, sending shock waves of pleasure racing from her nipples to her core with every shift of his broad chest. His mouth was working magic on her lips, her jaw, her throat. And all the while he was pushing his erection into her, slow enough to be maddening.

With a buck of her hips Gine took him in further, faster and felt a sharp stab of pain that had her jerking to a stop beneath him.

Bardock stilled atop her at the sensation and she tried desperately to suppress the quiver of pain that lanced through her.

She'd hoped he wouldn't notice, that the years of combat would have taken this one sign of her virginity from her. She was in her twenties already, far too late for a saiyan to be losing her virginity and now there was no way to pretend that that wasn't exactly what had just happened.

His grip tightened on her waist and he moved to prop himself up above her. Gine turned her head, not wanting to see the look he was giving her. But it was impossible not to flick her eyes to his face for just an instant and in that moment she could have sworn that, amongst the hint of shock and assessment, she saw a flash of apology.

Of course he hadn't known. She hadn't _wanted_ him to know. It was bad enough that she was reminded almost daily of how much she didn't belong and it had only been as a result of him teaching her to school her expressions, how to sound more like a normal saiyan, that she had begun to gain some small measure of acceptance.

Despite her frantic thoughts, she felt herself clench around the twitching intrusion of his cock and it was enough to cause his head to drop to her shoulder as a pleasured groan tore out of him. A groan that ended in her name.

Her name had never really meant much to her, given as it was by the woman who had given her away as soon as she was born, but as he began to thrust into her, careful and almost tender, she decided that her name on his lips was her new favourite thing.

As the pleasure overtook the pain, she lost herself in the writhing thrusts of their bodies; revelled in the feel of hands and fingers tracing over skin and muscles; groaned and gasped at the scrape of nails or teeth over sensitive flesh. _This_ was living and she never wanted it to stop.

He pushed her over the edge with those maddeningly slow thrusts and barely waited until she'd stopped shuddering before angling her hips just so and increasing the pace.

All traces of pain gone, she allowed herself to be swept up in the pleasure that was so much better than she had ever imagined, and the next time that she came, she felt him reach his own release.

In a smooth movement, mere moments later, Bardock rolled off her and, without pause, pulled her over until she was sprawled on top of him.

It wasn't exactly what she'd expected but as she settled her head on his chest, the not so steady beat of his heart a drum under her ear and his hand resting on the small of her back, she was surprised by the feeling of contentment that washed over her.

* * *


	3. 3: 7 years 2 months ago

* * *

_7 years 2 months ago_

She thought she must still be dreaming as she woke up next to a warm, muscular body early the next morning. But as she opened her eyes on the almost unfamiliar room, Gine soon realised that the previous night really had happened and that the warm chest behind her was her captain and not just a construct of her imagination.

She made a move to get up and leave. She shouldn't even have stayed the night. But as she did, a thick arm, corded in muscle and marked by countless scars, wrapped around her stomach, pulling her tight against him and holding her in place. She froze for a second, unsure of what to do next. She knew exactly what she _wanted_ to do but doing what she wanted tended to get her into trouble. And snuggling into her captain - her normally very grouchy captain - was definitely on the list of those things.

He rumbled behind her, clearly not quite as asleep as she'd thought, though clearly not fully awake either.

The arm around her stomach tightened once more. "Go back to sleep…" A barely awake murmur of sound from above her head distracted her a bit from her goal of making it out the door. It was a voice that had filled her dreams and fantasies for far too long.

Unable to break the hold he had on her without difficulty, and unwilling to really try, she relaxed back into him and sighed quietly in contentment as his legs tangled with hers in an intimacy that had her heart singing.

But sleep was long gone and apparently he found her presence as distracting as she found his, for it didn't take long for the hand on her stomach to find and start kneading her breasts and his thigh to press into the still sensitive flesh of her womanhood in a way that had her shivering and and arching her back in pleasure.

It also hadn't taken long at all for her to find herself pinned to the bed on her front, as he pushed into her from behind in a slow, sleepy way that had her gripping at the sheets in an effort to control the pleasure creeping over her.

Bardock took the time to explore her back and her neck in exquisite detail, never mind the intoxicating way he stroked her tail.

One hand propped him up so as not to crush her and the other… the other stroked and petted and teased at will as he took her in a way that she could only describe as leisurely.

They barely increased in pace, instead meeting each other's groans and sighs with kisses and caresses, drawing out their time together and enjoying the sleepy indulgence.

The orgasm was different to the night before. Rather than the explosion of sensation she had been expecting, it was as slow and deep as their joining, rolling over her again and again in waves of pleasure that had her biting at the pillow while he continued to thrust into her until he hit his own climax, filling her before he withdrew himself from her, stroking her through the final tremors of pleasure.

Lying sated and relaxed afterwards, Gine allowed herself the small indulgence of stroking his arm where it lay wrapped around the front of her shoulders, holding her to him, still partially beneath his larger form. It hadn't taken long at all for sleep to claim her once more.

Gine's reprieve finally came to an end, heralded by the shrill beeping of an incoming call on her captain's scouter.

He leaped out of bed, grabbing the small device and answering the call. He muttered some kind of agreement before disappearing into the bathroom and turning on the shower.

The sound of running water acted as a wakeup call to Gine, who quickly scrambled out of bed, pulled on her clothes and shot out the door without a word.

There wasn't any shame in what she'd done - adult saiyans were notoriously sexual and had no compunction in taking exactly what they wanted before moving on. Relationships, though extremely rare, weren't unheard of but they were more common amongst older saiyans of whom there were less. Younger saiyans like her were supposed to be ruthless and cold, uninterested in relationships that went beyond the physical pleasure they provided.

When Bardock emerged from that bathroom she would have been expected to play the part of "Thanks for the great night, Cap. See you around." And that simply wasn't who she was, especially after a night of everything she could have hoped for but had never expected.

The flight back to her own apartment passed quickly and in no time she was at the training ground, several hours later than usual but showered and ready to work through the new aches and pains as well as retraining her healed leg.

She spent three gruelling hours focused on strengthening her muscles before she headed for lunch at the communal mess. Well fed and tired, she returned home to pick up the book she had bought recently at the market.

That was another very un-saiyan thing about her. While she wasn't an avid reader she did enjoy sitting down with a book on occasion. Since she finally had some free time on her hands, this seemed like the perfect way to pass the afternoon.

* * *

Engrossed in the book as she was, Gine didn't notice the passage of time until a knock sounded at her door.

She opened the door, not really sure what she was expecting. Bardock, outlined by the faint moonlight behind him, certainly wasn't it.

"C-Captain!" She stammered in shock.

She took a step back, unsure of what to say or how to react as she stared at him with wide eyes. What was he doing here?

Typically, Bardock was silent, waiting for her to give in under the look he directed at her and finally she collected her wits enough to wave him in, shutting the door behind him.

He was watching her when she turned around, with that predator's gaze that took in everything. He stopped as soon as her eyes met his, however and instead he turned to survey her tiny living room.

His eyes lingered on all the knick-knacks placed around the room, things she picked up on her numerous trips to the markets. There was a blanket spread out across the sofa where she had been reading, soft despite the bright tones reminiscent of blood oranges, books held pride of place on the two shelves with small, brightly coloured ornaments arranged around them and a small, deep rug covered the space between the sofa and the armchair sitting adjacent to it. She had more things in other parts of the house but even having him see those few made her feel bare. But then she supposed she _had_ seen his tinkering.

"They've moved our mission up. We're heading out tomorrow afternoon." She almost believed that was why he was here. Perhaps would have if not for the feather light kisses he had pressed to her neck as he thrust into her just that morning.

No, that was his excuse for being here _now_ , but it wasn't the reason why he was standing in her apartment when he could have told her far more easily via scouter.

And that excuse didn't explain why both of them were _still_ coated in each other's scent, even after numerous showers. It didn't explain why he'd been utterly different last night to what all the talk had led her to believe.

No. There was more going on and she knew it, and now that _he'd_ come to _her_ , she _was_ going to find out what it was.

With a determination that was all but unfamiliar to her, she stalked up to him, stopping so close that just one breath would have had her nose touching his crossed arms. That wicked smirk found its way to his lips again and he faintly cocked an eyebrow.

"Why are you here?" She echoed his question from the night before.

"For the same reason that you were at mine last night." She wasn't going to back down from his challenge. She _wasn't_. But his answer took her by surprise: she'd been around him long enough to have heard the other females complaining that he virtually never slept with the same woman twice, and even when he did, it was always months apart. It was their biggest gripe about him. Possibly their only gripe.

And yet here he was, _in her flat_.

"You never do that." Internally she was cringing at herself but she wasn't going to walk into this blind. She wasn't going to get her hopes up just to have them crushed if a simple question could have saved her the heartache. Even if the words stung like bile in the back of her throat.

He knew exactly what she meant. "I'm making an exception."

He'd barely finished talking before she moved even closer still, forcing him to lean back the tiniest fraction. Not in submission, never in submission, but because the gleam in his eyes told her he was enjoying this. She, on the other hand, just wanted to scream.

"You never make exceptions!" Gine snapped back, hands on hips.

She almost stepped away as he leaned down to whisper in her ear, "I'm always making exceptions for you."

She searched for a response, for a comeback, but could find none and the shock of his statement left her gaping as her mind processed what he was saying. Not just the obvious part but the entirety of what he was telling her.

It was the truth.

He _was_ always making exceptions for her.

Every. Single. Day.

He'd committed so much time and effort to helping her, to pushing her, to demanding that she never give up. He'd blocked more attacks for her than she could count and knocked her out of the way of even more. He'd covered her blind spots and taught her how to cover them herself in future. He'd dragged himself outside at the crack of dawn whether it was raining, or cold, whether he was hungover or even, she'd heard, when he had… company.

With his sharp mind he had come up with a training regime suited specifically to her, that had allowed her to improve more than all the years of military training she'd had previously.

There had been countless other moments, too. Times when he had shot her warning glances when she'd been about to slip up in public, about to say something she shouldn't have or pull an expression that would have given too much away.

When they'd been alone he'd listened to her patiently, even when she was talking about nothing but nonsense.

And on the rare nights where she had joined her teammates in their drinking, he had never taken a woman home, regardless of just how many offers he received, no matter how tempting they were.

Never mind the lengths he had gone to on their latest purge to save her life when anybody else would have left such a worthless subordinate for dead.

She felt the realisation rock through her, felt as her tail stopped bristling at his previous words.

Bardock noticed it too and chose that moment to gently tug at her earlobe with his teeth.

Gine gasped and jerked away an inch, turning her head to look him in the eye as he kept his head over her shoulder, a wicked gleam in his eyes.

For several seconds neither of them moved, but she had to know. "Are you going to stop making exceptions once you get what you want?" It sounded ridiculous to her as it came out of her mouth but she didn't know how else to ask for what she wanted to know. She'd never had the characteristic boldness of her race but she had to at least try to get the answer.

"What is it that I want?" He was toying with her, but if this was what her gut told her it was, what her mind wasn't yet willing to even entertain, then they both knew that she needed to be able to tangle with him like this. But that didn't mean that she knew the answer.

So she reverted to honesty. "I don't know."

He scanned her face before straightening and, for an instant, she thought he would leave. But instead of turning for the door he prowled to the sofa and took up the seat she had been curled up in before he had arrived.

Where she had been small and huddled, he was spread out like the alpha male he was.

"I want the same thing you did last night." His eyes sparked with challenge and she knew, she just _knew_ that they weren't talking just about sex.

"You-" She broke off. She wasn't ready to bare her heart to him just yet, didn't have the words to describe what exactly it was that she wanted in the first place. So instead of answering she walked over to him, coming to a stop between his spread knees where he leaned back against the cushions, and allowed his hands to settle on her hips and guide her towards him until she was kneeling astride him, straddling him but still up on her knees. It was the first time she'd ever looked down at him from above.

"So, if you make this particular exception…" She swallowed, "Will it be a one off?"

He tilted his head back to look up at her as she braced her hands on his shoulders. He paused for a moment, holding her gaze. "No."

And it was enough for her to believe him, this man who'd never let her down.

She didn't resist as he pulled her closer, pressing his nose to her chest and drawing in her scent in a way that made her realise that perhaps he needed this more than she'd thought.

Feeling her protective instincts bubble to the surface, she wove her fingers into his hair and set to massaging his scalp.

He was a saiyan warrior and a dominant male: he took what he wanted and didn't apologise for it. Or was that simply a mask? Was the reason why he taught her to hide her feelings, to fit in better, that he did the same himself?

Was he as much of a dreamer as she was?

His intelligence certainly set him aside from other saiyans but…

Gine didn't have the answers but she did have the man she'd been longing after for far too long sitting beneath her, guard down. And he had come to her. After a night of… she didn't know what to call it, because sex didn't cover what they'd done…

But he was here, against all expectations.

So she lowered herself fully into his lap and, with her fingers still in his hair, she leaned in to kiss him. It was tentative and exploratory as he let her take the lead and it was unlike anything she'd ever seen between two saiyans, but it set her heart to fluttering in a way that wasn't just arousal.

He didn't hurry her along as she pressed whisper light kisses to his surprisingly full lips, or try to take control. He simply tightened his grip on her hips as if she might disappear if he didn't hold on tight enough.

She licked along his lower lip, trying to memorise the feel of him, when she felt his tongue brush against hers in return.

She startled slightly, having been lost in her own thoughts, and opened her eyes.

Bardock was watching her, his eyes softer than usual and there was the palest hint of red in his cheeks. Not the red of embarrassment that she had no doubt was now filling her own face, but a flush of desire.

Without needing any further encouragement she returned her lips to his, sliding her tongue over his lips in a silent request and dropping one hand to his nape.

In response he deepened the kiss and his hands began roving over her back, her ribs, in a way that had her pulse quickening and she could already feel the echoing pulse between her legs.

Breaking the kiss she began tugging his armour off to reveal the tight fitting fabric underneath that left absolutely nothing to the imagination. Staring at his abdomen she smoothed her hands across the hard planes of muscle, stroking up to his shoulders and back down again, where she started removing the thin, black fabric.

She leaned in to trail kisses along each inch of newly exposed skin, pausing to flick her tongue across one hardened nipple and then the other, scraping her teeth across it before continuing on.

His chest was a rock hard slab of muscle, crisscrossed by scars of various shapes and sizes and, as a faint sheen of perspiration broke out on his skin, she decided that she could do this forever without getting bored.

Her patience, however, wasn't matched by the large saiyan beneath her who, with a groan, tightened his hold on her hips once more, urging her to straighten, before pulling her flush against him.

Flush against the bulging hardness in his shorts.

Oh yes, she could play with him all day.

His hands found their way under the hem of her armour, the contact sending a tingle up and down her spine in a way that had her tail uncoiling from around her waist and reaching out in search of his. The feeling when they met was electric and she felt the shock of it run through him too as her nipples tightened, her breasts seeming to swell within the tight material of her armour.

She let out a sound of complaint at the constriction and he seemed to follow her meaning for, several seconds later, her chest armour was lying discarded on the floor and her breasts were free to rub up against his bare chest as their lips met in yet another kiss.

As he pulled her against him, his hands roving all over her bare skin, she moaned at the delicious friction against her nipples, and, with a bite to her lower lip, Bardock released her mouth. He drew far enough back that her breasts were bared to his sight. He worked one breast with his hand, molding it, stroking it, plumping it up so he could put his mouth on it while his other hand found the base of her tail and began stroking it in a way that made her see stars and had her writhing atop him, her core rubbing against his still confined shaft.

Those damn shorts of his were in the way again.

Gine stood, stepping out of the reach of all but his tail which was still wrapped around the tip of her own.

She crooked a finger at him, beckoning him to stand and, as he rose to his full height in front of her, she pressed her lips to his chest once more, travelling downwards as she pulled off his shorts.

His length sprung free as she dropped to her knees before him but she had barely placed a kiss on the side of his shaft when he stepped back, dropping back onto the sofa and tugging gently at the top of her own shorts and skirt.

"Take them off." A murmur of sound that sent a thrill up her spine once more.

She felt exposed undressing herself in front of him and was surprised at how different it felt to when he had done it for her the night before.

But her eyes flicked back to his naked body, sprawled across her couch, his member standing proud and erect at the sight of her and she steeled herself, making herself hold his gaze as she removed her final layers of clothing.

His eyes trailed over her in a way that made her thighs clench and spurred her into action. It appeared that he was letting her take the lead this time.

She crossed the small distance to him, their tails coiling tighter about each other, and took up her former position straddling him. He wasted no time in resuming his slow conquest of her breasts, making her writhe against his manhood.

This was definitely the fastest route to insanity and she was loving it.

She gasped as he slid his finger inside of her, gentle and coaxing but never hesitant.

She felt herself growing more slick under his ministrations and didn't complain as he added a second finger.

No, she wasn't complaining at all and she wasn't going to simply be a passenger on this ride. As the waves of pleasure built, she groped for his cock, taking his impressive girth in hand and pumping the hard length in a way that soon had him thrusting into her hand.

Their moans and groans mingled as they enjoyed each other until an orgasm finally swept her under, leaving her shuddering on his fingers.

Sated and limp she felt utterly undone until she met his desire filled eyes. The heat in them reignited the fire within her, as if she hadn't just screamed his name to the stars.

If she wasn't careful this man could become her addiction. If it wasn't too late already.

Dropping her gaze to his erection, she took in the moisture she had spread all along it as she'd worked him with her hand and she remembered the exquisite feeling of it inside of her. She wanted more of that.

Raising herself up, she positioned herself above him with a little help and the feeling of his blunt head pushing into her folds was enough to make her moan.

She tried to focus on the pleasure, to ignore the sudden nerves that were beginning to grip her as she knelt, poised above him. And perhaps her nerves showed, because he slid his hands up her body in slow, soothing strokes that soon had her relaxing as they looked into each other's eyes.

She tried to hold that eye contact as she began lowering herself onto him, taking him in further and further. There was none of the pain from the night before but he was certainly a stretch. A deliciously sensual stretch that had all of her nerves screaming in pleasure.

If she'd thought he'd been in deep last night she had to think again as she finished lowering herself on to him.

The feeling was enough to make her inner muscles tremble and as he took a breath beneath her the movement was enough to send another orgasm tearing through her.

Bardock was gritting his teeth, clearly trying to maintain what self control he could.

It didn't last long until he was urging her to move atop him.

Gine didn't know what she was doing, this was completely new to her, but it didn't take her long to find a rhythm, sliding up and down his cock and grinding herself against him in ways that had both of them sweating.

The next orgasm took them both under and left them in a panting, sweaty heap on her sofa, her face tucked against his neck as his head lolled back against the cushions.

Before she could stop herself, a giggle bubbled its way out of her and she slapped a hand to her mouth in mortification. But before she could react any further, Bardock too began laughing, watching her out of the corner of his eye and she grinned.

Their next coupling was a tangle of limbs as they fell to the floor, laughing and tickling. Playing.

It was new and utterly unexpected but it was the most joy she could ever remember feeling and her captain, usually so cold and angry looked happy and at ease in a way she'd never thought he could be.

* * *

Neither of them had slept that night, instead taking the time to learn each other's bodies, fully aware that it would be weeks until they had the chance again.

They'd both showered in her tiny bathroom, knowing full well that they were soaked in each other's scents to the point where a simple shower was never going to change anything, but it was the best they could do.

They'd also both agreed that it would be better to keep this quiet for now. The saiyan population was small, meaning that gossip traveled fast and neither of them was ready to have a bunch of brash, nosey and clueless colleagues getting involved in things, whatever those things were.

As it was, they'd barely made it to the launchpad in time.

* * *


	4. 4: 7 years ago

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is a collection of smaller scenes that are spread out over a year and, of course, there's some more smut.

* * *

_7 years ago_

Never in her twenty-four years of life had Gine ever expected to be in a relationship.

The concept was known to every saiyan but she'd never personally known anyone who was in one, or even know of anyone who did. The only exception was the Royal Family whose goal was political strength and pure bloodlines. Relationships just didn't exactly fit into their race's way of life.

Now, sat across the cooking fire from Bardock, their teammates around them, all of them engaged in easy conversation following a long, exhausting day, she wondered how she'd ever managed without it - without him.

In the past, nights like this had been a terrible ordeal for her. She'd been shunned and made to feel inferior and worthless at every turn. Too many nights she'd been forced to go without food or sleep, the former because her previous teammates hadn't considered her worth wasting food on and the latter because it would have been foolish to consider herself anything other than a small, vulnerable female and had somebody decided to take… advantage of her… Well, if she wasn't worth food or water she certainly wasn't worth helping.

It had never come to that, although sometimes that was only because of her instincts telling her to turn tail and run, hide.

It wasn't that all females had to worry. A saiyan woman was fully capable of holding equal or higher rank than a male. The only requirement was strength and skill.

Gine had had neither.

Nor had she had even the smallest scrap of confidence.

It had taken a while for her to accept that what was happening between her and her captain was anything more than the flings that were so common in saiyan society, despite his assurances to the contrary.

Time after time they'd come back to each other, and not just for sex, though the sex was both amazing and a large part of their relationship. Physical contact had become almost as essential to them as food and, though they generally refrained from any kind of intimacy while on missions, they didn't deny themselves or each other the small touches that they needed to make it through the time away from home.

While not fighting, they regularly brushed past each other in casual contact, or touched tails while no one was looking. Bardock didn't let her out of his sight while they were off Vegetasei, something she'd realised he'd never done, even when the rest of the team split up. And that meant that they had plenty of opportunity, while resting, to simply enjoy each other's presence.

Oftentimes they simply sat next to each other, knees or hips, arms or shoulders touching in quiet comfort, tails loosely intertwined.

Most of the time it was enough to assuage the insatiable need between them.

Of course, it hadn't taken their teammates long to realise that something was very much going on between them. They'd probably scented it as soon as the two of them had arrived late to the launch pads that day a few months ago. Sex was an accepted part of saiyan life and culture that didn't warrant a reaction. But the fact that they were _still_ sleeping together and that they'd been _monogamous_ … that was a different thing entirely.

Their teammates were certainly confused by their ongoing relationship, but didn't seem to take issue with it, thankfully. Some others on Vegetasei had, mostly women, but their team merely seemed perplexed.

The biggest change, however, had been in Gine herself.

She'd always been shy and timid around others, bordering on fear or even terror at times. The slightest sign of confrontation had made her tremble and even having a conversation had been daunting beyond anything that was reasonable. But in the months that she and Bardock had been together she'd discovered a whole new confidence in herself. And for the first time in her life she'd known what happiness was. What it was to laugh.

Gine had found the confidence to join in on conversations with her team on nights like this, to join them more often on nights out at home.

She'd found that she had a playful side that seemed to delight her spiky haired partner.

She was still unusually shy and quiet by saiyan standards but she'd found, for the first time in her life - that she was comfortable in her own skin. There was a lot of herself that she'd never reveal to her colleagues but the fear of opening her mouth and joining in a conversation was gone.

The fire flickered and crackled as Toma threw on another chunk of wood before taking his seat again and the sound was enough to make her realise she'd been daydreaming.

"...and the great lunk, pissed as a frinian miner, knocked himself out cold!" Fasha finished her story to laughter from the others. Gine hadn't been keeping up with the conversation but she smiled at their mirth all the same.

"I should camp with you more often, Gine," Borgos' rumbling voice cut across the laughter.

Gine schooled her expression as she looked to him, hiding the shock at having been addressed directly behind an angry, narrow eyed look. It was rare for any of them to talk to her, though they didn't shun her company anymore or throw her the disgusted looks that had been a part of her life for so long. And that had changed even before she and Bardock became a …. Thing.

The enormous man barely shot her a grinning glance before leaning in to pull a piece of meat from its stick over the fire and taking an enormous bite. He chewed and swallowed before explaining any further.

"You can make _anything_ edible!" He licked his lips happily. "This stuff was awful when I tried, but this is pretty darn good." He punctuated his announcement by taking another large bite.

The others around her grunted or hummed their agreement and Gine had to bite her cheek to stop the happiness she felt at the words spreading to her face.

* * *

_6 years 11 months ago_

"The… worst food you've ever eaten."

Both suns were overhead and the day was wonderfully warm as Gine sat at the edge of the cliff, her legs dangling loosely as she looked down at the sparkling lake beneath.

Bardock mulled over her question, lips slightly pursed in thought, his eyes following the clouds racing by overhead.

"A fruit on planet Haemin," he finally answered, "Everyone there was eating them so…" he trailed off.

"A fruit?!" She exclaimed, a little disappointed, "That can't have been _that_ bad!"

A grimace marred his face as she watched him. "It was bright green on the outside so it looked OK, but inside it was grey and slimy. It had a texture like noodles and it tasted awful."

Gine echoed his grimace as she listened to his explanation.

She waited a couple of minutes for him to ask a question but when none came she carried on.

"What's the most unusual planet you've been to?"

He shot her a look. She knew she wasn't asking easy questions but that was because she preferred it when he stopped to think about an answer.

When she didn't back down he took on a thoughtful expression.

"A couple of years before you joined the team we went to a moon. It had an unusual orbit because it was between two extremely large planets. The result was that it spent the majority of its time being pulled on by both, keeping it in the shadow of its primary planet.

"It was almost always night there. But when we landed, as we impacted, everything lit up. The whole planet was covered by microbes that lit up if they were disturbed. The ground, the water. Everything. The ground lit up around your feet with every step and if you dropped a stone into the water the splash and the water would light up, even your hands if they were wet." It was the most engrossed in a memory that she had ever seen him and as she pictured the strange, dark planet, her mind imagined it full of beauty.

"The plants, the insects, they all glowed with this pale blue or green light.

"The species that had taken up residence there from another planet in their solar system, they'd abandoned almost all technology. So they filled their cities with plants and bits of mirror to provide light."

It sounded magical.

"... It's all gone now."

She'd known that, of course. If a purge team had been sent there… But hearing the words still filled her with sadness and she suspected that he felt the same.

Time to change the subject. "How old are you?"

"Twenty nine."

"Did you have Lieutenant Prout training you?" A groan. That was a yes then.

The lieutenant was known for being particularly uninspired and many a young saiyan had sat through his dry, boring and often angry lectures about controlling ki.

"I used to get in trouble with him all the time." She confided. She glanced back at him over her shoulder and found him watching her. She smiled a bit sheepishly. "He was so _boring_ and I always ended up day-dreaming. Who thought it was a good idea to have him teaching _kids_?"

"Probably the only thing he was good for." He was back to watching the clouds now. "Who else trained you?"

'Trained' probably wasn't the best word for it, 'failed to train' might have been more apt but she tried to remember nonetheless.

"Do you remember the really big guy that looked like he'd been hit in the face with a frying pan? With the funny tufts of hair? He used to teach hand-to-hand?"

"Lieutenant Chard." He chuckled to himself, "I bet he didn't know what to do with you!"

That pretty much summed it up. She was small for a saiyan, always had been, and the large man had been incapable of adapting anything to suit her. Like saiyan clothing, he was a one-size-fits-all kind of man and adapting to meet the needs of a four year old girl wasn't something he'd been willing to do. She'd ended up beaten and bruised each day, her shorter reach not allowing her to land a hit on her larger, and generally, stronger classmates.

"Yeah… and I had Lieutenant Agula, for drills. I don't really remember anyone after that except for Captain Caraway."

Watching him as she was, she caught the hint of a cringe at the name.

"Agula wasn't so bad if you could keep up. Caraway…"

She nodded slowly in agreement. His opinion of Agula pretty much matched her own, except that she'd been one of the ones who _hadn't_ kept up.

Caraway had been the one trainees were sent to when there were problems. It was up to him to assign punishments or additional training, though the terms were interchangeable. He wasn't known for kindness.

"When did you start having problems with your training?" He asked her after a few moments of silence.

Gine looked down, worrying her fingers at the somewhat uncomfortable topic.

"Always…" She kept her head downturned, embarrassed at the admission, but watched him from the corner of her eyes.

"You must have known Caraway pretty well, then." He said, returning her sidewards glance.

She dropped her eyes back down to her fidgeting hands in silence. It wasn't a question and she didn't want to answer.

They sat in silence for a while as the day grew hotter.

It was still mid spring but the red sky was free of clouds now that the second sun had reached its zenith, and Gine was starting to wish she'd chosen her shorts over the leggings she was wearing.

But even with the growing heat, she didn't want to leave.

Pushing the conversation from her mind she lay back on the hard rock, simply enjoying the nice weather and the time off.

Some time later, as the heat was starting to become a bit uncomfortable, Bardock stirred behind her, followed by a shadow falling over her face.

She opened her eyes to find him standing over her, looking down.

"Can you swim?" He raised an eyebrow as he asked.

She nodded at him, watching his upside down face.

He cocked his eyebrow a little more, a silent invitation.

Gine sat up, her feet still dangling over the edge of the cliff, and looked at the lake. Then she looked back at him and, with a nod, slid off the side of the cliff, free falling towards the ground.

The rush of air was exhilarating. Somehow flying was never quite the same. The way her aura shielded her from much of the wind seemed to reduce the rush. But for now, for the seconds it would take to drop down the side of the cliff, she didn't flare her aura or gather her ki, though beside her she could feel the push of Bardock's own aura and smiled. He wasn't the person she'd first thought he was, but she doubted he ever really relaxed and indulged. Except perhaps in bed.

The fall took mere instants and soon they were flying over the treetops at an easy pace, headed towards the sparkling water.

Their armour was perfectly capable of handling the water but it was warm enough that they left it at the water's edge, opting instead to stick to just their underlayers.

Gine watched as Bardock removed his armour and had to admit that there was something particularly alluring about seeing him undress and the way that the sun lit up his skin made her want to touch. As if she hadn't indulged in touching and tasting every inch of skin just hours ago.

She dragged her eyes away from his well defined chest and up to his face. Only to find him watching her with equal intensity.

Barely covered as she was by the cropped tank top she was wearing, she felt exposed but felt a thrill run through her.

Strange how being half dressed could feel more exposing than wearing nothing.

She grinned at him, crooking a finger and quickly walking backwards into the water, letting herself fall back into the water once it was deep enough.

He was on top of her a second later, kissing her.

Gine almost let him carry on but instead, when he stopped long enough for them to take a breath, she splashed him in the face and swam away, still grinning at him.

It wasn't that she'd ever actually reject his advances, not when simply looking at him was enough to make her heartbeat flutter, but this addiction between them was all consuming - some days they didn't make it out of bed at all. She'd never complain but today, in the sunshine and the crystalline water she wanted to enjoy the world around her _with_ him, instead of being blinded to it all by the overwhelming attraction between them.

She turned around upon seeing the answering gleam in his eyes, swimming further out into the sparkling lake.

She heard him take a breath and disappear under the water. Not a ripple marked his passage until he resurfaced further out, wiping the water from his eyes and treading water.

With a smile Gine continued swimming, luxuriating in the coolness of the water and the heat of the brilliant suns above. It was peaceful here, surrounded by the quiet rippling of the sparkling water, civilisation miles away.

Swimming slowly, enjoying the cool caress of water over her heated skin, she allowed her eyes to follow the smooth flow of muscle as Bardock continued swimming ahead of her. . A small part of her was embarrassed to be watching him like that, to be finding such pleasure in it, but the more rebellious side of her scoffed at the idea. He was her partner and they were alone. Why shouldn't she look? Why shouldn't she watch as droplets ran down his broad shoulders as he cut gracefully through the water?

She'd stroked and kissed those shoulders just that morning, had left scratches on his back that were now lost below the waterline.

The memory of that morning, of how they had moved together, was enough to heat her blood all over again, as if she wasn't swimming in a cold lake.

Near the middle of the lake, he came to a stop, waiting for her. As soon as they were close enough their tails twined together, a familiar caress between lovers and one that didn't help her fight those toe-curling memories.

She could lose herself so easily in him. She always could,

But for now, she'd enjoy being with him here, in this beautiful spot, on this lovely day, with nothing to do but have fun.

* * *

_6 Years 8 Months ago_

Gine awoke to a soft noise in her bedroom, opening her eyes and bolting upright in startlement.

The night was dark with only the smallest sliver of moon and, with the lights off, she really couldn't see a thing.

"It's me," a deep, wonderfully familiar voice murmured and the panic that had been building in her dissipated instantly.

"You're early!" she murmured, delighted. She'd thought that he'd be out until the early hours at least.

"Close your eyes." He said quietly as she heard the bathroom door open. She closed them quickly. "Okay."

With her eyes shut, she saw the glow of the bathroom light before he quickly shut the door behind him.

Opening her eyes again now that she wasn't about to be dazzled, she lay back on her pillow, warm, cozy and content as she listened to him showering in that quick, efficient way of his.

It couldn't have been more than two minutes later that the shower cut off and she listened to the sound of the towel being rubbed over his skin.

The strip of light shining beneath the door vanished before she heard the door open once more, followed by the quiet sound of feet on the hard floor.

Gine expected him to walk around to his side of the bed but, in the faint light coming in through the window she saw his darkened form move to her side before he climbed onto the bed, straddling her atop the covers. She felt him lean down and raised her hands to caress his face, his wet hair, and then they were kissing, slow and soft and sensual.

The kiss was a greeting, an indulgence and a promise all in one and it made her toes curl.

All too soon he broke off the kiss, moving to her jaw, then her throat as she stroked her hands over the familiar plains of muscle. She'd missed him, even if it had only been a handful of hours since he'd left.

She could have gone with him, and had done so on occasion, but hadn't felt like it tonight.

But this… she definitely felt like doing _this._

Before long the sheets were shoved out of the way and they were skin to skin, both of them fully naked and Gine could feel the wetness between her thighs growing, echoed by the moist tip of his erection where it pressed against her thigh.

Despite the sensations coursing through her, for a moment she had to wonder: how had they gotten here? How had they gotten to the point where this was as natural and as essential to them both as breathing?

How had they ever managed without each other?

The soft caress of his tail up her inner thigh had her gasping lightly as his mouth dropped to her chest. He didn't know it yet but she had plans for that tail.

She shifted beneath him, shimmying down the bed enough that she could kiss and lick and nibble at his broad, muscular chest. Her hands kneaded his ass, moulding it and shaping it as he held himself still for her exploration.

She hooked his tail with a finger and gently stroked its length, enjoying the feel of the soft, warm fur against her skin. She repeated the motion, hearing him release a quiet sigh of pleasure.

She twirled the tip of his tail around her finger and brought her hand to her mouth, pressing soft, open-mouthed kisses to the sensitive appendage. She took her time, listening to his small tells that let her know exactly what he was most sensitive to.

Taking the very tip of his tail carefully between her teeth, she uncoiled it from around her finger and gently wrapped her fist around it, a few inches down, to hold it in place.

In a long, smooth caress she licked her tongue along the length of the tip before moving back down to repeat the movement.

Many saiyans kept their tail wrapped around their waists at all times because of how sensitive they were and for Bardock to allow her to play with it like this was a sign of trust.

She'd played with it before, of course, but never so intently and she was fully aware of the significance of him allowing it.

She watched his face as she took his tail into her mouth, sucking on it like she would his cock. His face contorted in a grimace of pleasure as he dropped his forehead to the pillow. The next lick had his cock throbbing and twitching against her leg. With trailing, caressing fingers, she moved her free hand to his groin, gently massaging his balls as she continued to lick and suck at his tail.

She moaned as, regaining some control, he pinched her nipple and shifted his leg so that his knee was pressing against her clit in a way that had her grinding herself against his rock hard thigh.

She shuddered in pleasure as his hand found her own tail and began playing with it in ways that were nothing short of sinful.

"Oi…" She complained as he pulled his tail away and out of her reach. Hardly the most eloquent response but she'd been enjoying herself and _oh,_ the way he was playing with her tail. Coherent thought was a challenge right now.

"You wanna play with my tail?" a whisper of breath against the shell of her ear.

She tried to form the words to answer, but all that came out was a pleasured groan as he pressed his leg harder against her.

He removed his leg as she found his lips and claimed them in a rough, erotic kiss, quivering with anticipation at the feel of him rocking his hips against her. But he didn't push his throbbing manhood into her at all, instead using his tail to pleasure her clit, dipping it inside her liquid heat to spread her wetness further.

She bucked against him, almost crying out as he took her tail into his mouth, as she had done to him mere moments ago.

The sensation was indescribable.

All rational thought left her and she became a creature of desire, unaware of anything except where they touched and it was almost enough to push her over the edge as he slid his tail inside of her liquid heat.

She reached out, desperate to feel his cock in her hand and began pumping him in time to the thrusts of his tail and the caresses of his hot, wet mouth.

A couple more thrusts and she was clenching around him as pleasure exploded within her. She felt him go stiff above her as her inner muscles squeezed his tail and with a grunt and a jerk, he was spilling his seed all over her stomach, her breasts, her hand.

It took both of them longer than usual to reel their thoughts back in and they stayed tangled together as their breathing calmed and the last quivers of pleasure faded.

…

Gine didn't really want to move but she was covered in his seed and had to do something. With considerable effort on her part just to get her muscles to respond, she pushed him off her and slid out from underneath his hot, muscular body that she enjoyed so much.

His fingers trailed down her arm as she did so, snagging on her own and pulling her to a stop. He cracked an eye from where his face had ended up planted in the pillow.

"Where are you going?" The lazy, barely intelligible grumble had a grin spreading across her face and she leaned down to press a kiss to his cheek and ruffle his hair.

"To the shower." She whispered back, moving to lick the shell of his ear playfully. "Wanna join me?" She breathed, bright smile still on her face.

Bardock hummed in agreement, but didn't move, only tightening his grip on her fingers.

Poking him in the side with her free hand Gine tugged on the hand holding hers, cajoling him into moving until, finally, with a groan and a half mocking glare, he shifted and got up, allowing her to tug him after her to the small bathroom.

They'd barely made it across the room before his lips were back on the column of her neck in a way that had her already pleasure-frazzled body stumbling slightly.

Gine flicked on the bathroom light and spun around to meet him in a hot, deep kiss that had her wobbling where she stood on her toes.

Both of them were already so pleasured that, although his fingers quickly found their way inside her, his strokes were languid and unhurried.

She should stop him, she really should. She was already covered in him and the thought of the two of them in the shower… it was too tempting to pass up.

In a quick move, she pulled away from him, turning on the water and quickly tugging him in with her.

It was divine. The feel of his wet lips on hers, their slick, wet skin sliding together.

She had some vague memory of soap on her skin but in no time at all he'd lifted her up, pinned her against the wall and was pounding into her in a deep, fast, driving rhythm that had both of them crying out.

He didn't complain as she scratched at him, simply increasing his pace to give her what she needed to reach her release. She felt him climaxing too, deep inside of her, and the feeling sent aftershocks rushing through her.

….

Their coupling had been rough but he held her for the longest time, afterwards, his hands and lips gentle. He kissed her in the way that she loved, in the way that filled her dreams and fantasies, and he kept going until she was thoroughly lost in him and could feel him growing hard once more where he remained inside her.

She didn't know how long they stayed in that shower, loving and pleasuring each other, but when they finally collapsed back into bed they were clean, tired and thoroughly, thoroughly sated.

When she woke up later that day they were still pressed tightly against each other.

* * *

_6 years 2 months ago_

Gine swallowed, feeling small and exposed under Fasha's sharp gaze. The other woman sat on the other side of the fire, Tora on her left, Borgos beside him. V Bardock for once, was gone. He had left a short while before in search of their final team mate, Shugesh.

The large man was somewhere to the south. The scouters showed his energy signature moving in the lower part of the continent but he wasn't responding to calls on his scouter. It wasn't unusual for scouters to get damaged or downright smashed while on missions but the result was that it could take days or even weeks to find the others again without help. Since there weren't any other energy signatures of note near his location, Bardock had gone alone while the rest of them finished eating.

It wasn't that Gine had a problem being here alone with her teammates but the look Fasha was giving her, those sharp black eyes bright in the firelight, was making her feel uncomfortable. It was the look of a predator with its prey in its sights. And if she knew Fasha…

"So, Gine..." An innocent sounding introduction that they all knew was nothing of the sort. The taller woman continued picking at the leg bone of whatever animal it was that they'd caught for dinner, feigning disinterest in the conversation. The two men didn't bother pretending, visibly perking up and paying attention. "You and Bardock have been a thing for a while now." For all that it sounded like a casual observation they all saw it for the question it was.

This wasn't really a conversation that Gine wanted to be having. There was no point in denying it, not when their teammates had been able to scent it on them for so long. And definitely not when the grin Tora was trying so hard to suppress said that he remembered only too clearly the time he'd found her and Bardock in a small wood, clothes in disarray, scouters discarded in the leaves beside them.

It wasn't often that they indulged while on missions – in the months that they'd been together it had only happened a couple of times – but _of course_ Tora had found them.

With a struggle, Gine tried to hold back the blush she could already feel creeping up her cheeks. She shrugged at Fasha, hiding her awkwardness by taking another bite of her own food and pretending not to notice the other woman watching her, waiting for more of a response.

"Did you have a good night with... Rabi?" Gine had to think for a moment to remember just who it was that Fasha had left the bar with the night before this mission, deciding that maybe moving the conversation away from herself was better than trying to ignore it.

It seemed to work for Borgos, at least, the enormous man having missed their teammates departure. He looked at Fasha, eyebrows raised. Keeping anything secret in this team was nearly impossible so, while going home with someone wasn't all that interesting in itself, the fact that he hadn't known definitely piqued his interest.

Fasha shot her teammate a glare as the interrogation began. The short-haired woman didn't mind talking about these things the way that Gine did, but this wasn't the way she'd intended this conversation to go. A second, equally pointed, glare was aimed at Gine seconds later. Yes, the move had been transparent, but it had worked like a charm.

For now.

It was only a matter of time before Borgos' curiosity was satisfied and the three of them would remember exactly what had started the conversation in the first place, so Gine took the time to gather her thoughts a bit. Did she want them to know? Well, that was a moot point, she supposed. They _already_ knew. But did she want to _tell_ them anything? Perhaps not, but then they'd been respectful enough up 'til now. Of course, they gossiped every chance they got, they were saiyans on missions, that's what they did when they weren't fighting. But they'd waited a long time to ask these questions.

Gine supposed it had been long enough by now. She and Bardock had initially agreed to keep things quiet because they were both unsure just where things were going. She still didn't really know but she couldn't see this thing between them ending any time soon. If it was going to end, she felt like it already would have. Things weren't always easy, exactly, not in their lifestyles, but between them they always came back to each other, without fail.

Sometimes she felt like she needed Bardock more than she needed air.

Would there really be any harm in acknowledging this strange relationship between them, if only to their teammates? It wasn't as if they hadn't been working together for years now, socialising too, and they all trusted each other. The others knew but hadn't spread any kind of rumours...

The conversation continued for a while as the others discussed their recent partners, debating their pros and cons.

"How long's it been now?" At first, Gine didn't realise the question had been aimed at her, but the rib bone that hit her on the head had her looking up. She looked at Tora who was chuckling quietly to himself, then to Fasha who was looking at her expectantly.

"What?"

"How long's it been now?" Fasha asked again. Gine hesitated for a moment. Decision time.

In fact, it was a good question. It was hard to keep track of time while going on missions – they spent so much time travelling, kept in stasis by the pods' systems, that several months could pass in the blink of an eye. Depending on the mission, six months could pass by while you were only awake for a couple of weeks. Other times They'd have months where they'd be travelling for a few days and then spend a week or so on a planet before moving on to another one.

"I'm not sure..." She finally murmured. "A year, I think." She looked up, confirming that she had in fact spoken out loud.

The others looked mildly surprised. They'd known of course, but, just like her, they hadn't realised how long it had been. And it _had_ been. A year was a long time in saiyan terms.

Tora chewed thoughtfully for a moment. "That ain't no short time."

"You can say that again!" Borgos chuckled. "Who'da thunk it?"

Gine looked at him, askance.

"Well…" He chewed his way through another large mouthful, ordering his thoughts. "You and the Captain… Well, you can't get two people more different, can ya? And Bardock always had a reputation for loving the ladies." He paused for a moment. "I guess I just would'na ever imagined you two hooking up, let alone… staying together."

The others nodded their agreement.

"It's done you good though," Tora added finally and Gine bit back her surprise. She didn't know what to say. She didn't like this much attention on her but they weren't being malicious, merely curious and perhaps even somewhat friendly.

Fasha had gone quiet, letting the conversation flow as she focused on listening. The other woman had a sharp mind and Gine didn't mistake her silence for disinterest.

"So you two are the real deal, huh?" A sharp question from the raven haired woman, for all that it was spoken casually.

Gine shrunk down slightly. The two men were large and brash but neither of them made her feel quite as uncomfortable as the other woman's sharp scrutiny. And _were_ they? The real deal? What exactly did that mean for saiyans who avoided relationships so steadfastly? They'd all heard of mates, the near mythical connection between two saiyans, almost as mythical as the near-unbelievable super saiyan. It was said to be completely irresistible, the strongest of compulsions and the deepest of connections. It felt arrogant just to question whether that might be what was between her and Bardock, even if their relationship was undeniably unusual in its intensity.

Gine looked up, seeing that the taller woman was still waiting for a response but the best that she could manage was a shy shrug.

She knew that Fasha was about to launch into more questions and could have kissed Borgos when, after shooting her a glance, he quickly drew the conversation back to their mission.

Gine let out a sigh of relief, returning to her meal and counting down the minutes until Bardock returned and she was safe from prying questions.

* * *


	5. 5: 6 years 1 month ago

* * *

_6 years 1 month ago_

Gine had been both terrified and thrilled when she had found out about her pregnancy.

It had been a shock to awaken in her tiny space pod on the final approach to Vegetasei and to realise that her stomach had grown noticeably while she had been in stasis. She might not have noticed the small change if she had been awake throughout, as the difference was slight, but awakening to the slight bulge after three weeks of sleep had left her in no doubt that there was a difference.

It had only taken a moment's thought to realise that she hadn't bled in over three months. That in itself wasn't uncommon for any saiyan female with the lifestyle that they led, but… combined with the bump of her stomach…

* * *

The sounds of her team mates stirring in their own pods reached her through her scouter – some already awake, some barely in the first stages of awakening. None of them were troubled by anything, simply looking forward to being home.

Her heart clenched with nerves and a wave of nausea hit her as she thought of facing them on the landing pad. They were only seconds away and she hadn't had time to process what was happening, the thought of one of them noticing was enough to make her tremble. Yes, they'd become friends but that...

That...

It was too much to process so quickly.

The jarring sensation of hitting the landing platform was familiar to her after so many years and she scrambled to get out of her pod before the others. But that was stupid, she couldn't simply vanish like that. So instead she opened the hatch and set about pretending to massage the feeling back into her legs. It wasn't an uncommon problem after weeks or even months of being cooped up in the tiny space and the position allowed her to hide any sign of her swollen stomach.

She delayed as long as she could until only one of her team mates was left, stretching and working his muscles – though not for show as she had been. Borgos was large enough that he could never travel without _some_ discomfort.

"Are you heading to the debriefing?" he asked, falling into step beside her.

"Uh... No." She responded as they crossed the threshold. Following a mission like this only Bardock was required to attend, though the others usually made an effort to. The purge had been thoroughly routine and had gone down without any hiccoughs. "I... I have something I need to do. I'll catch you later." And with that she turned down a side passage of the building and made her way straight to the medics.

The Medical Unit was unsurprisingly close and it took her less than a minute to reach the white and red doors of the wing. Stepping through the door she walked past the emergency care rooms that she had visited so many times in the past and made her way to the General Care wards.

The waiting room was busy but not crowded as she made her way to the datapad on the wall. She scanned her ID and received a number in return, along with an expected waiting time of fifteen minutes.

 _Great_ , she just _needed_ time to stew.

She took a seat near the back of the room, praying she wouldn't see anyone she knew, and began worrying at the hem of her long, pink top. Could she really be pregnant? Of course it was possible, she and Bardock had been in a steady, if mostly secret, relationship for over a year now. And she couldn't deny how much less stressed she was at the changes that had occurred in her life and that in turn had led to her bleeds becoming far more regular. Until they'd stopped of course. So yes, it was possible. But probable? Saiyan fertility rates were notoriously low in comparison to other species they'd encountered, although she'd also heard that the low number of births could be attributed to early miscarriages due to their violent lifestyle.

She really didn't know and didn't have the courage to consider it any further. She knew what her instincts were telling her but she would wait for confirmation one way or the other. She wasn't sure her heart could handle getting her hopes up just to be wrong.

As her number finally got called into room number 8, she made her way on shaky legs, willing herself to not slip up, to remember all the lessons Bardock had taught her about how to act like a typical, cocky saiyan.

She entered the small office and sat down before the grey, scaled medic from some planet in the PTO. Medics and scientists were never saiyans.

"Good Morning," he greeted her, stiff and formal as he scanned her file on the computer before him. "I see you've just returned from planet Saudade? Are you having difficulties following one of the parasites there?" He asked, scanning the information about the planet.

"No, I..." She fought the urge to fidget, reminded herself that she needed to act bold and uninterested. "I think I'm pregnant."

He looked at her and nodded. "We'll have to take some blood." He explained, already moving to withdraw the necessary equipment from a cupboard on the wall behind him. She tried not to cringe – she _hated_ needles, but she couldn't afford to show that in public, even if she felt like he should be able to hear her heart racing from across the other side of the room.

The small creature pulled on some gloves and approached her with a tray in hand and she forced herself to present her arm to him when asked, though she turned her head away. She saw him glance at her as he fitted and then tightened the tourniquet around her arm.

"Saiyans like to say they aren't scared of anything, but you'd be surprised how many are scared by something as small as a needle." He murmured as he worked.

Gine didn't allow herself to react outwardly but inside she felt a small pang of gratitude for the creature trying to soothe her fears. As she felt the needle prick her skin, she wondered how he felt being assigned to Vegetasei? Was this what he'd had in mind when he'd decided to become a doctor, to be responsible for the care of an angry and inflammatory race that had no respect for him or his kind? She knew full well how many saiyans expected the medics to be able to provide a miracle cure for everything and many became irate when that simply wasn't possible.

She didn't relax until he removed the tourniquet and moved away with his tray, numerous collection tubes now filled with her bright red blood. He walked through a second doorway at the back of the office into what appeared to be a lab, speaking to another person in a language she couldn't understand. A moment later he returned.

"We can either send the results to you once they're done and schedule any further appointments, should they be necessary, electronically or, you can wait here. The test normally takes less than half an hour and we can carry out any additional tests today. What would you prefer?"

Gine hesitated and cursed herself for it. She should leave and wait for them to contact her, that's what anyone else would do in her position, but she had to know. Could she keep her composure when they told her? Could she pretend not to be ecstatic if the answer was yes? And what if it was no? Just the thought made her eyes burn.

"I'll stay."

The next forty minutes were some of the longest of her life and when she finally got called back into the same office she practically ran the short distance. She slammed the door a bit too hard on her way in and the medic watched her with those intelligent eyes. This was a mistake, she should have gone home. But it was too late now and she could hardly breathe.

As his expression softened the barest fraction, she knew that he had figured it out. Her bravado was nothing but a front and he could see through it to the terror underneath.

"The test was positive."

She still hadn't moved from the door and as her knees threatened to give way underneath her she tried her hardest to hold onto the smooth surface behind her for support.

"We can do a scan right now if you'd like. With that and a bit more information I can tell you how far along you are and see if everything is progressing as it should." His voice was businesslike but not brusque as it cut through the roaring in her ears and Gine nodded mutely. He gestured her towards the gurney at the side of the room and she followed his instructions, laying down and pulling up her top to reveal her stomach.

And there it was, that small bump. It was her first time seeing it without a layer of armour, and lying flat on her back as she was. it was more noticeable than she'd expected and yet less assuming than perhaps it should be, considering that there was a small life growing in there.

The next minutes were a blur. The medic explained what he was doing but Gine was lost in her own thoughts until he swivelled the monitor of the machine in her direction and she saw the tiny little creature growing inside of her. It was tiny, so very tiny and yet she could make out a head, a small body and tiny little legs. She didn't know what she'd expected but something less identifiable as a saiyan would have fit the bill. Could she really have been pregnant so long without noticing? As the thoughts rushed through her head of all the missions she'd been on recently, how close she'd come to losing this little life without even knowing it had existed, she realised one thing over everything else. She didn't know this tiny person yet and yet she already loved it more than anything or anyone she had ever known.

The rest of the appointment had been a haze right up until the moment when the medic said, "I've sent a medical report to your CO, informing him that you have been removed from active duty."

"NO!" It came out as more of an undignified squeak than she would have allowed at any other time, but she shot forward in her chair, careless to the fact that she was revealing far too much.

"No, you can't! Please!" She knew she wouldn't be able to go on missions but she couldn't have Bardock find out like this!

This was big! Huge even, and it was something they'd never discussed - she had no idea how he'd feel about it and the thought of him finding out via a report… it made her stomach churn.

The medic looked at her, a slightly wide-eyed, helpless look on his grey face. "It's already been sent."

"Shit!"

Gine bolted from the room, hurtling through the still busy waiting room towards the meeting rooms in the military wing of the building. It had been a little over an hour and a half since they'd landed and there was a good chance that Bardock would still be in meetings. It was rare that they were debriefed immediately, instead often having to wait a half hour or more before the higher-ups had time for them. After that they had to receive their new orders and that could mean a whole lot more waiting. Of course, some days the whole process took less than fifteen minutes. She really hoped today wasn't one of those days.

Running up the last of the stairs she finally made it to the right floor and raced past the first offices, knowing that, if he was in fact still here, Bardock wouldn't be in any of those.

Four doors down she reached Colonel Yam's door and a quick glance through the small, round window of his door showed her the back of a spiky-haired head.

Bardock's scouter was lying on the table in front of him, flashing occasionally to get his attention.

It seemed like he hadn't read the message yet but that could change at any moment and she, stuck out here in the corridor, could do nothing but wait.

Oh, how Gine hated waiting like this. Somehow the last two hours had been one nerve wracking, emotional minute after another and it didn't look to be over yet.

She tried her best not to shift from one foot to the other as she waited, tried not to pace or wring her hands or look through that _damn_ window.

Eventually the door opened and Bardock stepped out with a small sigh.

"Looks like we're heading out again tomorrow morning." He said upon noticing her, nothing but a captain to his subordinate.

He moved to flick open his scouter and Gine panicked.

"No! Wait!" It was barely any more restrained than her reaction to the doctor minutes ago. This was all happening too fast! She _had_ to stop him reading that message, _had_ to be the one to tell him.

He flicked the small device open but didn't look at it, his attention still on her for now.

"I- I need to talk to you."

He looked her over, no doubt taking in her by now likely frazzled face. He nodded without further ado but said, "I just need to get this," gesturing with the still flashing scouter. "I'll-"

"No! I need to talk to you abo- before you read that message!" She pleaded with him, hoping that he would listen.

In private her partner never denied her anything but in this building, surrounded by all these people, all these cogs in the Icejin Empire - he wasn't her partner but her commanding officer. And they both knew that the consequences for ignoring an important message could be dire.

But she _knew_ what was in that message and she needed him to listen to her.

"Please," she whispered the word and he blinked.

Finally he gestured for her to lead the way and she did so, aware of his presence with every step.

They were free for the rest of the day to do what they wished, so she wasted no time in heading back to her apartment. She knew he had questions, could practically feel them waiting to burst out of him as he flew the short distance at her side.

She didn't look at him as she unlocked her front door with trembling hands, nor as she turned towards him as he shut the door behind them, keeping her eyes firmly on the floor at his feet. He too turned towards her and leaned his back against to door, waiting for her to talk.

Gine tried to form the words, to make a sound, but all the emotion of the last few hours suddenly overwhelmed her and washed away the words she'd planned to say.

She struggled for a moment longer, no sound coming out of her mouth as her lips worked to shape the words, wringing her fingers before her. But then he was there, taking her hands in one of his much larger ones, the other lifting her chin to better see her face.

"Gine…?" The mask he'd had in place during their mission and during their short conversation in HQ was practically gone now and she could see the concern in his eyes. Of course he had noticed her disappearing so quickly after landing, the hint of desperation as she asked to talk to him, the fact that whatever it was she wanted to talk to him about, she couldn't do it somewhere where they'd be overheard.

She tried and failed again. How could she be so happy and yet so scared? She trusted him more than anyone else in her life, knew how he felt about her. He was her rock; the foundation on which she'd built every small success over the last couple of years and he'd never once let her down, but what if this was it? What if this was that one step too far? Most saiyan men had nothing to do with child raising, hell - most females didn't, after all. But Gine couldn't, simply _couldn't,_ be like them. She couldn't just have a child and give it away, forgetting that it had ever existed, and she couldn't do this alone.

If this was the thing that broke the thing between them… It would break her too.

She looked him in the eyes, saw the care and love there. _Love_ … it was such a rare thing on Vegetasei…

"I-" she took a deep breath, holding tight to his hand with both of hers. "I'm pregnant."

* * *


	6. 6: 6 years 1 month ago

* * *

6 _years 1 month ago_

"I'm pregnant." Gine said again, her voice a little stronger this time, watching as his eyes widened in shock and he pulled back the barest fraction.

"You-" He cut off, staring at her for several long seconds before dropping his hands and turning away. He walked to the window, opening it wide and leaned against the frame, clearly as lost for words as she had previously been.

Gine tried to calm her breathing, tried to still her trembling hands as he breathed deeply of the the fresh air outside, as if he'd been suffocating inside. If he left now - but before she had time to react in any way, he was back, having moved almost lightning fast, and he was holding her, so gently and with so much care that it brought tears to her eyes. He buried his nose in the crook of her neck and simply breathed her in for a moment.

"You're pregnant…" It was a breathy whisper, so quiet she wondered if she had imagined it. "You're pregnant."

She nodded against him and whispered back, "Three months."

He pulled back again, looking over her face. "You've been signed off active duty?"

She nodded again, "That's the message you received."

It was all just a blur and she felt so overwhelmed that she felt numb.

He turned away, pacing once more, before eventually settling on the sofa and gesturing her over. As soon as she was in reach he pulled her into his lap, her side pressed against him and his arms firmly but gently hugging her, his tail sliding over her own. Looking down at her, he began to smile.

It caught her a little off-guard. "Bardock…" His name was barely more than a hesitant breath on her lips, "I didn't realise you wanted children so much…" She really hadn't thought he wanted them at all. He was too practical for that, far more interested in electronics and technology than in things such as family.

" _I_ don't. But you do. And if you've been signed off active duty, that means you're here, you're safe." A pause as he looked her over once more before raising a hand and cupping her face, his tail gently sliding around her waist, across the small bump of her stomach. "That's what I want, for you to be safe. And…" A small smile spread across his face, happy but mischievous enough to make her worry. "...I wouldn't mind seeing you being a mother. I bet you'll be great at it - since you're so terrible at being a saiyan, afterall."

She gasped at him in outrage tinged with laughter, whacking him on his stupid, spiky head a couple of times before he leaned in to kiss her and caught her off-guard by tipping her backwards. Her startled shriek had him laughing into the kiss and she couldn't hold back her grin any longer.

Bardock looked into her eyes, a small, happy smile on his face and said, "We'll make it work. Both of us. You'll get to be a mum and I promise that nobody will take this kid from us. I'll even-" he chuckled, "I'll even try not to complain too much about you sneaking the poor kid out of it's pod for far too many cuddles."

A surprised laugh burst out of her at the words. She hadn't considered that far ahead, hadn't allowed herself to consider the future, but now the image bloomed, fully formed, in her mind. She could already see his long suffering scowl as he watched her with their baby.

Since the Tuffle War and the assimilation of their technology, it had become standard practice for babies to be kept in the incubators until they had grown into the early stages of childhood. There were definite advantages for the child as well as for society as it eliminated the need for a parent or carer and the child was provided with all the care it needed. But there was no harm in taking a child out for whatever reason and she knew that'd she'd be doing just what he'd said. And she _did_ want to be a mother, that maternal instinct had always been there even though it seemed so alien to most of her race. But-

"I haven't got the space for a pod." She blurted out at the sudden, sad realisation.

He flicked her nose. "We'll have to find somewhere bigger, then."

"We...?" She barely dared to hope. Yes, he'd said 'We'll make it work' but that was still a long stretch from living together, from having a life together.

He bit at her ear this time, "Yes, 'we'. You're my mate after all." As if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

And in that instant, wrapped in his arms, one of them finally having put into words the thing that was between them, confirming the truth they'd both known for so long, she decided 'to hell with it'; he was hers and there was no changing that. So she stopped holding in the squeal of joy inside of her and let it out, kissing him when he gave her a shocked and amused look.

Amid the laughter and smiles, she tumbled him onto his back and climbed atop him, jabbing a finger into his chest in the best imitation of sternness she could muster.

"Damn right I am, and don't you dare forget it."

* * *

_6 years ago_

Gine settled into her purge-free life easily. It was strange having so much free time, no doubt about it, but it was pleasant. Although, within a month she'd realised just how long a month actually _was._ She hadn't been that long without being in stasis since she'd been a child, with very few exceptions, and in her mind she'd come to think of time very differently to what she was now learning it was.

She'd been used to hearing of travel times of several weeks or months and just brushing them off. All it really meant was a few minutes for takeoff and a few more for landing. The rest was spent in an induced sleep in which the body was fully preserved. It didn't stop ageing or functioning but thirst and hunger certainly weren't an issue. She supposed she'd never really given much thought to how it actually worked. Bardock could probably explain it to her with his love of gadgets and technology, if she ever bothered to ask.

After a week of nothing to do, she'd put in for reassignment. She hadn't asked for anything specific but her current 'condition' ruled out a lot of tasks and that had been taken into consideration by whoever was dealing with her request. She'd ended up working in the food storage and distribution warehouse, primarily working as a butcher, though she took on other odd jobs if required to do so.

The first day or two she'd been somewhat fixated on the morbidity of her new job. Cutting up animals was hardly the cheeriest of jobs after all. But listening to her new colleagues talk, she saw how much pride they took in their work and their reasons for it rang true to her.

'Yes,' one of them, a stocky woman with an awful limp, had said to her as she'd prepared and packaged another cut of meat, 'saiyans will eat _anything_ and there ain't nothin' a saiyan likes more than food, except fo' good food after a good fight!' She'd rumbled out a laugh and moved onto the next hunk of meat.

It was true, Gine had to admit. Saiyans practically inhaled their food but they were certainly appreciative of good food, in their own way of course, and it was such an essential that there was never any lack of demand.

And in no time Gine realised that perhaps, for the first time in her life, her colleagues didn't look down on her - not even a little - she even had the impression that some of them liked her.

Her pregnancy, too, was going smoothly. She'd returned to see the medic and received the news that she was carrying a boy. Apparently he'd known at the first scan but she had run in search of Bardock and the dreaded report before he'd been able to pass on the information.

The biggest issue for her, and it really shouldn't have been a surprise given her nature, was the hormones. By saiyan standards, and probably all other standards too, she was overly emotional at the best of times. Adding pregnancy hormones to the mix really just added a new level of unpredictability to the equation.

 _That_ , of course, wasn't helped by the fact that Bardock was gone so much of the time.

The typical travel time on most of their missions had been up to a month each way, with the actual purges potentially lasting the same amount of time again, though that wasn't entirely common. As a result, Gine was silently praying each and every time that Bardock wouldn't be sent away for long.

Travel times of over a year weren't unheard of and, if such a long journey was required, it was typical to be assigned several planets in that sector, meaning that the mission could easily take over 3 years.

If he was ordered to go on one of those missions there was nothing he could do. Orders were orders and even as a captain, Bardock had little to no say over where or when they went.

What would it do to her if he was sent away like that?

What would it do to him?

It had quickly become clear that being separated like this wasn't easy for either of them, although he certainly found missions easier to complete without having to watch out for her all the time.

But they both missed each other.

Communication with the pods _was_ possible but it was rarely private and being awake inside the pods wasn't a pleasant experience, cramped as they were. As such, it wasn't a facility that was available to the lay-person and was instead reserved for those higher up the chain of command. That meant that as soon as he was gone, he was gone.

The times that he was back though, those were the times that she lived for.

There was happiness in those days or hours that he was back, a simple joy at being with her mate and, in the strangest way, being separated as they were was definitely bringing them closer together. Before, they had done everything together and had sometimes struggled to find things to talk about, but now she looked forward to his stories about the planets he visited and made a point of remembering things about her own day to day life to tell him. It made a nice change to some of their previous silences.

But she always had to cringe when he left. Not because he was leaving, though that made her far more emotional at times than she liked, but because he made a point of telling her - lecturing her, she called it - about not showing too much emotion.

It wasn't that he was wrong, far from it - she was far more emotional than even a pregnant saiyan had any right to be. And she couldn't even begin to imagine how hard it must be for him to leave for months at a time. He might be saiyan, might be a skilled captain of a purge team renowned for its skill and efficiency, but he was a protector, deep down inside. Things were definitely better now, though.

During her years on the purge teams she'd regularly been threatened with disciplinary action for being overly emotional. And that was when her teammates _hadn't_ taken it upon themselves to deal with her themselves. That had never happened on Bardock's team but he'd known full well the risk that she faced. That was why he'd made such a point of teaching her to hide her feelings.

Now, she still had to keep her emotions in check, but not to the same degree. Every saiyan was part of the military, regardless of where they were assigned, but being emotional in a warehouse was a far cry from being emotional on a battlefield and, as such, her new colleagues didn't complain or look down on her for it, especially in her current condition.

Even so, saiyans were supposed to be brutal, efficient fighters. Something Gine couldn't be.

Bardock wasn't like her, quietly rebelling against what she was forced to be and do. He had taken those expectations and demands and met them fully, becoming the perfect saiyan to the outside world. Only she saw him lose himself for hours as he worked on his gadgets, fixing, altering and building them with single minded focus.

She'd asked him once, watching him with fascination, and he'd explained some of them to her. He'd altered his scouter to increase the range, sensitivity and accuracy which explained how he always seemed to know exactly what was going on while they were on missions. A round device, barely the size of her hand was to be a blutz wave simulator once he'd finished. That would eliminate the need for a full moon and thereby reduce the time required for the tougher missions, as well has cutting down on injuries or casualties.

There were more that she hadn't understood in the least. She enjoyed watching him work but she just didn't have any grasp of any of it, couldn't even wrap her head around the fact that he'd taught himself _everything._

Working in the warehouse sometimes also involved helping out in the mess hall and it had given her the opportunity to overhear all sorts of conversations. Bardock, having reached a dead end with the small Blutz device due to a lack of data, had finally decided to share the small prototype with the mish-mash of scientists in the PTO. Those scientists, according to the talk she'd overheard, were fascinated. They were still a long way from making it work, impressed as they were - some downright perplexed - at the intricacy of it. She'd even overheard a rather heated, though whispered debate, about whether or not they should simply ignore their superiors and provide Bardock with the information he had initially requested and been denied access to.

The appearance of a small data chip at their home just a few short weeks after that overheard conversation was proof enough of their lack of progress.

They needed him to finish that device.

Add as the months marched on, Gine needed him too.

* * *

_5 years 11 months ago_

"You're leaving already?" Gine cried, tears streaking down her face, arms flung wide. "You only got back today!"

It was a futile argument, not least because Bardock was refusing to engage with her, instead focusing on packing the bag he'd be taking with him when he left in the early hours of the morning.

But she couldn't stop herself.

"You got back today and you're already shipping out in the morning? That's less than a day!" Even she could hear that her voice was growing slightly hysterical but the thought of him leaving again was making her chest constrict and her teeth chatter. Her hands, now held firmly back at her sides, were clenched tightly in a bid to hide their trembling.

She was glaring at him but also pleading with her eyes. She didn't know what for - it wasn't as if he was in a position to choose when to come and go and they both knew it. But she'd thought they'd have more time! At least she'd thought so until his scouter had _beeped_ with the updated schedule announcing that departure had been pulled forwards and would now be in less than seven hours, just after 4am. He'd only gotten back late that morning and had spent over an hour at Command.

Never mind that she'd had to work.

He'd managed to find her during her lunch break and, though it was a wonderful surprise that had practically left her floating through the afternoon, it had been too short.

And now he was preparing to leave again.

The tears were still streaming down her face, seemingly impervious to her angry swipes across her cheeks, and her chest, in solidarity with her hands, began to shake.

Gine fought to stop crying, to try and regain some control as the shaking grew worse but, with a hiccough, a sob burst out of her.

Bardock look at her then, his face still in its usual scowl but as he looked her over, as she took a step away, his eyes widened slightly and his mouth opened, as if at a loss for what to say. He reached for her as he straightened from his hunched position but, as another sob tore out of her, she shook her head, backing away another step.

She couldn't stop shaking, couldn't stop crying and, as he moved towards her, she quickly turned and left the room.

Several shaky steps found her in the kitchen, her back to the corner where the two counters met. Alone now, the tears came faster, accompanied by more hiccoughing sobs. She didn't want him to leave but in that moment she'd needed some space.

Her chest felt hollow and tight as if it was about to collapse in on itself and the sudden inflow of emotion scared her, leaving her grappling for some kind of control.

She _knew_ that this was just hormones. She _knew_ that she shouldn't be reacting like this. But the hand she'd pressed against her mouth, it's back hard against her lips, wasn't enough to stifle the near silent sobs and her arm, wrapped vice-like around her ribs, couldn't stop her shaking.

She kept her eyes pressed closed as she heard him walk into the kitchen, not ready to deal with his emotions, always so tightly held in check but no less real for all of that, as well as her own.

Cornered as she was she had nowhere to go as she felt him approach, didn't have the will to move away from this man she loved so much.

The sobs continued unabated as he wrapped his arms around her and gently pulled her close, careful of her increasingly large stomach. The feel of his hard chest against her face only served to remind her how much she needed his strength right now and how much it scared her, really scared her, that he was leaving again.

She lost track of how long they stayed like that, her crying at the overwhelming hormones and worries, him murmuring soothingly in her ear, softly rocking her. Waking in the morning she had no memory of leaving the kitchen, carried no doubt, and the strong arms that had held her so tenderly were gone.

The space beside her was cold despite showing signs of having been slept in.

Morning had come and Bardock was gone.

* * *


	7. 7: 5 years 7 months ago

* * *

_5 years 7 months ago_

Contrary to most saiyan women, and despite the occasional tough moments, Gine enjoyed being pregnant.

The baby was pretty active for most of the day, kicking, moving and squirming enough that she'd taken to talking to him whenever she was alone. She was sure that even Bardock, with all his patience, would think her crazy for that particular habit. But it seemed to soothe her over-active bump.

But now, less than a week and a half from her due date…

She honestly felt like she was about to pop.

She'd always found it difficult to affect the typical saiyan short tempered snarliness. But no more. She was grouchy and snappy almost all the time and people had started to give her a wide berth, not wanting to anger her - probably lest she indeed pop.

Bardock, on his last visit home just a week ago, had been quick to notice her mood and had quickly, and wisely she thought, cancelled all his plans for his two days off. He'd spent the next 40 hours walking on eggshells, trying his best not to set her off. He'd even gone so far as to cook for her, though that had ended in her crying inconsolably over, what she later had to admit was a truly, hilariously atrocious attempt.

The next night, upon finding the leftovers in the fridge she had started giggling uncontrollably, eventually ending up in a laughing, crying heap on the floor, her not so little bump kicking in protest at the shaking.

It was safe to say that she was ready for it all to be over.

Terrified but ready.

Bardock had promised to do everything he could to be back as soon as possible and she knew he'd do his best. He was only 4 days travel away, by some fortune, though she wasn't holding out hope that he'd be back. Not really.

Even if he was, there wasn't anything he could do. They'd both have to keep up appearances, like they always did; pretending to be utterly unconcerned for each other beyond their physical relationship. Despite that, she did hope that he'd be back to help if any kind of confrontation came up.

They'd decided right away that they weren't giving the child over to the care of the army and that they also wouldn't be leaving him in a natal pod at the medical centre. But the sad truth was that Gine didn't really have the rank to request that. On paper was her child and therefore her right but their decision was irregular enough that they knew they were likely to hit at least some resistance.

She'd already explained her decision to the small, grey-skinned medic, having apparently been assigned to his care for the duration of her pregnancy.

He'd been professional as he'd entered her request into her file but had turned to her and added quietly, "That's a highly unusual request, you understand?"

She'd nodded. "But it's allowed, right?"

He'd nodded, thoughtfully. "Yes. As far as I'm aware there's nothing to stop you. However, you should know that it's common for newborns to be sent to weak worlds with longer than usual travel times. As soon as the child is born you'll have to ensure that that does not happen, even if you have expressly stated beforehand that it is not your intention for him to be sent away."

The memory of the conversation still made her feel slightly nauseous.

* * *

It was raining, the red sky overcast and ruddy and Gine felt as miserable as the weather.

She'd woken up early and hadn't been able to get back to sleep. Her back had been killing her and she'd been running to the toilet constantly for days, today being no exception.

Getting up and moving about had helped for a while but for hours now nothing she did seemed to ease the ache in her back and legs, and those damn contractions that had been plaguing her on and off for weeks, the ones she'd pretended not to be having while Bardock was last here, were finally getting worse.

The medical centre was only a couple of minutes flight away but she already didn't feel particularly up for that, tired and uncomfortable as she was. They'd probably just send her home again anyway - they'd warned her about not going in too early. She really didn't want to waste the trip with the way she was already feeling.

Half an hour later she decided to hell with it, she wasn't feeling any better at all. If anything the pain was getting worse and she really wasn't sure that she'd even be able to make the flight in another half hour.

A short, wet and miserable flight that was really far more unsteady than she'd like to admit, put her at the delivery ward of the medical centre. She wasn't in labour yet, but where else was she going to go?

She scanned her ID into the data pad and hadn't even paced the full length of the small waiting room before a nurse came to get her.

The nurse, with her pale yellow, almost shiny skin and bright, chestnut coloured hair seemed far too cheerful to Gine in her current bad tempered state.

The young woman scanned her hand held data pad, "You're due in two days?"

Gine just nodded, gritting her teeth and pressing her hand against her lower back as another wave of pain hit her.

"Okay, well, let's get you in here and then I need to ask you some questions and check a few things." The woman glanced at her for a response and Gine had to wonder what had inspired the woman to become a delivery nurse on Vegetasei because even she, normally so gentle and even tempered, just wanted to scream at the woman.

Did she really expect her to answer questions? It was all she could do to bite down on her pain, if she started talking now she knew she'd lose all composure. And she wasn't even in labour yet - just how much worse could it possibly get?

The nurse was clearly used to dealing with pissed off saiyans because she didn't push on the questions of how far apart the contractions were coming or whether or not her water had broken yet, instead checking the baby's heart rate and announcing that she needed to do a cervical exam.

Great, just what she wanted when she was feeling like this. But as long as the baby was ok, she'd go along with anything.

The nurse inspected her quickly but thoroughly.

"Everything seems to be coming along nicely." She announced, still far too cheerful. "You're almost fully dilated, so I shouldn't think you'll be waiting much longer. A couple of hours at most and the baby will be on its way and you'll be in a rejuvenation tank on your way back to normal."

Gine bit on her tongue, hard, as another wave of pain hit, then growled at the slender woman, "What?"

"I'd expect," The woman continued, unfazed, as Gine fought not to react to the agony, "That the baby will be here within a few hours, at the most, and you should be back to full health by tonight."

"What?! I'm not -" she grit her teeth again to hold in the cry of pain, "I'm not in labour!" She couldn't be, it was too soon. There are still a few more days to go yet and Bardock wasn't back yet and -

She stopped as realisation hit home.

She _was_ in labour, she knew it even before the nurse had time to respond. She was, and Bardock wasn't here yet. She'd known, deep down, and that's why she'd come. But she'd been in denial, trying to pretend that it was nothing.

She didn't want to do this alone. She didn't know if she could.

It had nothing to do with it being too early for the baby and everything to do with her own fear.

She felt a tear slide down her face at the next contraction, tried her best not to let it show. But she was doing this alone and it was only going to get worse.

* * *

The next hour, half hour, day, passed in a blur of pain. She didn't know how long it was, was too busy trying to keep some semblance of control over her reactions.

The pain matched any of the injuries she had sustained over the years and then surpassed them. She was crying, she knew, and the voices of the medics attending her were nothing but unintelligible noise.

She tried to listen to them, she did, but the pain was incredible - it felt like it was going to split her in two.

And then, just as she felt like she couldn't take any more, an urge took over, one echoed by the nurse bravely holding her hand.

"Push!"

There was nothing else she could have done in that moment, the instinct too strong.

It could have been seconds or it could have been minutes but in that moment her entire body was focused on that one task. There was no more room for pain or for fear or even for thought, just the need to _push._ With each fresh wave of pain she did so, until one final, powerful contraction had her screaming.

The wailing cry that came a few seconds later called her back to awareness and she saw the small form in the medic's careful hands, saw as they cut the umbilical cord. Watched in awe as they wrapped her baby in a soft blanket.

Then the medic holding him turned to leave the room.

She shouldn't say anything. She _knew_ she shouldn't. But every part of her _screamed_ at her not to let them take her baby away, not without her holding him first.

"Please!" It was a hoarse gasp. Still the medic kept walking. "Please, don't take him!" This time it was barely more than a sob. But Gine didn't care. Didn't care about anything but her baby.

The woman, an older counterpart to the cheerful nurse who was still in the room, a sister perhaps, paused a few steps from the doorway. She looked at Gine with confusion.

These women worked with saiyan women every day and were all too familiar with the ways here, but they weren't saiyan. And Gine couldn't imagine that a woman with such a bright and cheerful smile would ever not care about her own baby.

So she tried again.

"Let me hold him? Before you take him away, let me hold him." The sisters exchanged glances, then, still looking mildly confused, the older woman returned to her bedside and carefully, gently, handed her her son.

* * *

He was beautiful, her baby. Tiny and pink and screaming and beautiful.

Gine held him close, talking to him as she had done for all these months, soothing him with her voice, gently stroking his tiny face and the small tuft of black hair.

She lost track of time, completely lost in the act of holding her child for the first time, and when she eventually looked up only the younger nurse remained, stood by the wall watching. And smiling faintly.

Gine eyed her, assessing the woman.

"I'll need to take him soon," the young woman said quietly, gently, "he needs to go into the natal pod and you need to be taken to the tank."

She looked down at her son again. Bardock had been right about her not wanting to leave the child in his pod, about how she'd want to hold him all the time. But she'd never realised how it would feel to have to let go of him in the first place.

The nurse placed a tentative hand on her arm having silently crossed the room. "Your paperwork says that you intend to keep him." Her words were incredibly gentle, almost a whisper as she glanced behind her to ensure they were still alone. "I need to take him but I'll make sure that he's safe. That he's still here when you wake up."

She didn't know this woman, didn't trust her. But what else could she do?

The brunette held her eyes, a cautious honesty in them. Finally Gine nodded.

Tears welled in Gines eyes as the woman took her son. Tears of loss and relief and joy.

"Thank you."

The brown haired nurse nodded though perhaps she didn't understand that the gratitude was for more than for looking after her son, although that was certainly a big part of it. It was for reminding Gine that the universe was full of life, and that not all species were as heartless as her own saiyan race.

* * *


	8. 8: 5 years 7 months ago

* * *

_5 years 7 months ago_

Gine awoke to the hazy, blue liquid of the rejuvenation tank. She blinked as her eyes adjusted, breathing through her mask.

Through the thick, warped window of the hatch she could make out shapes moving outside in the moments before the tank started to drain in response to her altered vitals. As the liquid dropped she pulled off the mask, pushing her sodden hair off her face and squeezing out as much of the liquid as possible.

She braced herself on the side of the door as she wobbled, waiting for the hatch to open.

The door finally lifted over the top of the tank and she took a step out towards the technician she knew would be standing there with a towel. But her attention was drawn to the man standing by the doorway at the other end of the bright room, arms crossed and looking for all the world like he'd rather be anywhere but wasting his time waiting around here.

But she could see the way his fingers were digging into his upper arm, the way the tip of his tail twitched against his hip in irritation or anxiety.

He must have completed the purge in record time to be back so soon.

She grabbed the towel, drying her naked body before moving to the small table where clothes and armour had already been laid out for her.

Like all saiyan armour it was one size fits all, but the technicians had selected her usual style and colour, and she silently thanked them as she quickly pulled on the under layer. To do so aloud would be far too un-saiyan.

Staying only long enough to put on the soft boots, she grabbed the armour and headed for the door, pulling it over her head as she walked.

Bardock already had the door open and stepped aside so she could leave first. They didn't make a move to acknowledge each other except to walk together from the room.

The medics and technicians alike knew that it was his son she'd given birth to just hours ago, but none of them knew any more than that and they both intended to keep it that way. Let them think that their relationship was about nothing but loveless sex.

They walked down the hallways in silence, passing the occasional worker or soldier who called out their congratulations to Bardock on having a son.

She ignored them all just as they ignored her, not stopping until she found the nursery.

The room was filled with a dozen pods, only a few of them occupied and Bardock's hand on her upper arm, his tail gently touching hers, stopped her rushing across the room to press her hands against the glass of the pod holding her baby.

In unhurried, measured steps that took more effort than anything she'd ever known, she made her way across the room. Bardock remained at her side every step of the way, his hand still on her arm, though now no longer in censure.

He didn't stop her or hurry her as she simply stood and looked at her little boy.

At some point a technician came in. Like the rejuvenation tanks, these pods were the remit of techs, not nurses.

The tall, lizard-like creature, looked at its data pad, looked up, then looked back down, reading again.

"There seems to be a mistake here." it mused in its sibilant voice, reading more carefully.

"It's no mistake." Bardock snapped behind her, his typical short-fused temper that was a well honed act, rising to the surface. "We're taking the child home. Tonight."

The lizard blanched slightly, it's earthy green and brown hued scales shifting into a sickly, washed out yellow and off-white.

"Of course." It nodded in nervous acquiescence. "Tonight."

* * *

A few short hours later, tired despite her time in the rejuvenation tank, Gine hit the 'Drain' button on the control panel of the pod. Waiting as the liquid drained away, she glanced over her shoulder to her mate who had entered behind her and now took up a seat in the otherwise empty room, his back against the wall, seemingly uninterested.

She'd come in here the second that the technicians had left after installing the pod, and this was the first time they'd been together without somebody around.

The pod _beeped_ and she turned back around to take her son into her arms at last.

He was so tiny and so soft as she held him against her armourless body, crying slightly in disapproval at being disturbed once more. His tiny fist waved until she took it in her fingers and began whispering to him softly.

Gine crossed the small room, coming to a stop in front of Bardock and looking down at him.

"Do you want to hold him?"

He'd watched her until that moment, but now he looked away. "I told you I didn't want a child." His voice was dismissive and uninterested and, had she not known him as well as she did, she would have taken it for the 'no' it appeared to be. It wasn't that he was lying, but…

But after this much time together she'd learnt to read his tells. The fact that he was here, in the room with her and their child spoke volumes. The way he'd clearly raced back to Vegetasei did, too. And the hint of guilt in his eyes as he'd looked at her in the hours since his arrival… it told her everything she needed to know about this man with his often prickly exterior.

And right now? He just didn't know how to react. Nothing in his training had ever taught him how to handle this kind of situation. So he had the option of two typically saiyan responses: violence or apathy.

So she met him half-way.

Sitting down in his lap and leaning against his chest, she let herself soak up the comfort of having him here.

"Meet your Dad, little one."

And, even if he tried to hide it, she felt her heart ache in the best possible way when, just a few minutes later, she noticed her mate's tail gently intertwined with that of their baby.

* * *

The brush of his thumb across her nape was what woke her.

She hadn't even realised that she'd fallen asleep.

She was still sat in his lap, head resting on his shoulder, just as her son was still laying in her own lap, his father's hand supporting him now that hers had fallen away in sleep.

"We should go to bed." He whispered against her temple, laying a feather light kiss there.

She nodded, touching her sleeping son's hand and not making any move to follow her mate's advice. She was tired. _So_ tired.

The rejuvenation tanks worked wonders in restoring the body, even from potentially fatal wounds, but they always left a lingering, bone deep tiredness and didn't wipe away whatever exhaustion had been present before treatment. She'd heard that the newest models had been significantly upgraded and left patients considerably less tired but those hadn't yet reached Vegetasei and likely wouldn't for some time.

Another stroke over her nape that had her mumbling something incomprehensible in her half awake state. Another soft kiss to her forehead.

Gine felt herself being moved gently to the floor, supported by the wall behind her. A couple of minutes later she was being scooped up by strong arms, her face once again against that broad chest. Then, a soft pillow, a duvet and darkness. She felt the mattress dip beside her but was asleep before she felt him slide into bed and pull her close.

* * *

Oh, by the moon, that sunlight was bright!

Gine tried to roll over and go back to sleep. Tried to bury her head in the crook of Bardock's neck where it was dark. But it was too hot and too bright and her body just felt wrong. And then Bardock was grumbling about her squirming.

Urgh, she really wasn't in a good mood this morning and she'd barely even woken up.

She shouldn't really be surprised - she'd just had a baby after all. The medics had warned her that even the rejuvenation tanks could only do so much about the hormonal imbalance after pregnancy and that she could well experience several weeks of mood swings.

She groaned, rolling onto her back and angrily tossing her head back onto her pillow. Then she groaned again for good measure.

Next to her, Bardock rolled over, sprawling half on top of her, _his_ face now buried in the crook of _her_ neck. His left hand found her hip, his thumb tracing a soft arc across her skin.

She knew it should be pleasant but it just drew attention to how wrong her body felt. This time yesterday she'd been pregnant and uncomfortable but today her stomach was flat and relatively toned, even after all these months. Her breasts were smaller now that they were no longer producing milk, her joints and ligaments felt tight in a way she'd almost forgotten in the months she'd been pregnant and she was finally able to lie in bed without having to get up to pee.

It was wonderful and it felt utterly wrong.

Irritated by the motion of his thumb, she pulled his hand off her and held it up to her face for inspection, playing with his fingers and scratching at the hardened skin.

He had long, nimble fingers that were as good with the circuitry he loved so much as they were with her own body. But they weren't spindly or delicate like some of the techs. There wasn't a single part of him that wasn't a honed warrior.

She indulged her bad mood, fiddling restlessly with his fingers, probably irritating him to no end as she scratched and picked at the many calluses covering his hand. But he allowed it and with time she allowed herself to admit that the tickle of his breath on her neck and through her hair was soothing.

Bit by bit her irritation eased. It didn't disappear but it faded a little until she finally let out a sigh.

"Somebody's happy."

She shoot him a narrow eyed glare, but he wasn't looking at her, his eyes still closed in that conscious half sleep of those determined not to wake up.

When she didn't answer he continued. "I thought you'd be happy. The last time I saw you, you were complaining that you were about to pop."

"I _am_!" She protested, frustration clear in her voice as she resumed playing with his fingers. "I just…" she trailed off, slowing her fidgeting. "I just don't feel like it right now." She finished in a flat, somewhat petulant voice.

He opened his exposed eye, squinting up at her. How was she supposed to explain to him how she felt, when she didn't understand it herself? But perhaps he'd seen enough of her moods in the last months, even with his absences, that he understood, because he kissed her shoulder and changed the subject.

"Well, you've got me here for 10 whole days. So… maybe you want to make the best of it? You know - put my… skills…" he waggled his index and middle finger at her, "to use."

She looked at him in disbelief. Was he really suggesting -

"You know… you could have me work my magic on the Re-Heater you broke -" the Re-Heater? How the hell - "or the data pad…"

She gaped at him, laughing now. But he'd closed his eye again and wasn't watching her.

"How on _Vegetasei_ do you know about that?!" She challenged, laughing disbelievingly.

Bardock gave a hugely drawn out, utterly affected, long suffering sigh. "They talk to me." He answered, as if it should be obvious and she could feel his grin hidden against her shoulder. "They tell me all the terrible things you did to them while I was gone."

Laughing outright now, she smacked him playfully over the head. He finally deigned to move, propping himself up on one elbow so that he could look down at her. She tried to keep a stern expression on her face but knew she was falling miserably.

" _How_ could you possibly know about that? I never told _anyone_!" It was the truth, but Bardock just tapped his nose, refusing to answer.

"I guess I did get a bit clumsy…" She conceded, grimacing.

He laughed, "A bit. Yeah."

She covered her face with her hands, laughing but embarrassed. Then realised something.

"Wait! What did you say?" She demanded, dropping her hands and looking at him.

He raised an eyebrow at her and wriggled his fingers again. "That I have magic fingers?"

"No!" She shoved at him playfully, trying to get him to be serious for just a second. "Did you - did you say that you're here for _ten_ days?"

His grin faded into a more serious but no less happy smile and he nodded.

"Why so long?" Long leave like that was uncommon, usually only given in advance of long term missions.

He poked at her side, "Stop panicking." He looked away, maybe a little sheepishly. "I've been shortening our rest periods for months now."

It was a relatively common practice used by most teams to give themselves the extra day off here or there, but to have saved up so many… it explained why he'd been so busy.

"And the others were okay with that?!" She could only imagine how that had cut into their drinking time!

He grimaced. "Not really… but… I just told them where to shove it. They've got enough time now to make it worth it. They can drink, fight and fuck all they want."

She laughed. That sounded exactly like what they'd be doing.

"How did you get back so quickly?" She blurted out the question without thinking.

Above her, Bardock's face went still and he rolled back until he was laying flat, looking up at the ceiling.

Damn it, she hadn't meant to say anything! But there was no taking it back now.

She shifted until she was looking down at him, the mirror image of his previous pose, one hand propping up her head the other on his chest, over his heart.

"I didn't think you'd be back for days. I didn't even know it was possible to get there and back so fast…" She knew the concern she felt for him had to be showing on her face. She also knew it probably wouldn't be appreciated. But she couldn't help it.

He knew her well enough to know just how terrified she'd been of going through labour without him around and he'd clearly tried _so damn hard_ to get back to her in time. But she'd been ok. In the end her fears had been unfounded. She just had to convince him of that.

"I'm glad you were there when I woke up." She didn't know the words to heal this hurt, but she'd try over the coming days to do just that in whatever way she could.

He still didn't look away from the ceiling though, her prickly mate.

She leaned down, pressing her nose against his and blocking his view. "You did everything you could and you were there when I needed you the most.

"If they'd tried to stop me bringing him home, there's nothing I could have done."

It was the truth. There was nothing he could have done to help with the birth itself but the moment she truly needed him there - to get her through those minutes of anxiety and emotion and exhaustion where she was utterly out ranked and powerless - he'd been there against all the odds.

As a Captain, Bardock had more authority than she did by a long shot. But captain was still a relatively mid range position. What really made the difference was him. He was a naturally dominant male, one for whom others automatically followed orders, even when protocol sometimes dictated otherwise.

Bringing their baby home had gone without a glitch but Gine could imagine only too well how differently things could have gone had he not been there.

* * *

Gine could hear Bardock moving around in the kitchen, making them drinks. But the sounds washed over her and faded away as she stood and looked at her baby.

All of the emotions of the day before came rushing back and she had to clench her fists to stop herself from reaching out for him. The need to touch him was so strong it was a physical pain in her chest.

But this early, she knew her baby needed stability and continuity. Taking him out of the pod wouldn't hurt him but it would disturb him and cause him distress.

She knew her resolve would only last so long and that at some point she'd give in and hold him again, like her every instinct told her to do. But for now she'd wait, even if the separation was enough to send the first tears rolling down her cheeks.

She really didn't know how long she stayed like that but finally a warm arm wrapped around her waist, pulling her back against her mate's solid chest. He pressed a streaming hot mug into her hands and, as the rich scent of coffee reached her nose, she finally dragged her eyes away from the tiny body within the tank.

She was about to raise the mug to her lips when she saw the colour: black coffee. How she hated black coffee.

"Before you start complaining," his other arm wrapped around her, squeezing her gently as his smooth voice reached her ears, clearly having noticed her shift in attention. "Bear in mind that I've decided _not_ to ask about why the sugar was in the fridge and the only carton of milk was in the cupboard going bad. Or why it was so ridiculously hard to find the mugs. Or… Well, I've decided not to ask."

Okay, so he had a point there. Baby brain had hit her hard in the last few weeks and it probably really was better if he stuck by his decision not to ask. For the sake of both their sanity.

And besides, she thought as she forced herself to take a sip of the fragrant black drink, it was hard to be annoyed when her wonderful man had made up for the lack of milk by adding more sugar until the drink was delightfully, if sinfully, sweet.

Or when he made no move to leave, instead settling into the embrace and joining her in watching their son.

* * *

That evening found them finishing up for the day early. They'd had takeout for dinner, neither of them wanting to face Bardock's cooking and Gine simply feeling too tired to do much of anything, let alone cook for two hungry saiyans.

Finishing up in the shower, Give dried herself quickly, hung up the towel and excited the bathroom to find Bardock, who'd clearly been waiting at the door. He leaned in towards her, wrapping one arm around her waist as he pressed a kiss to her hair. The next instant he was gone, nothing but a whisper of sensation left behind from where his hand had trailed across her bare abdomen as he withdrew.

She'd made herself, physically forced herself, to wait all day, despite the aching need within her. And Now, as she made her way to their baby's pod, she could feel her hands trembling.

Within moments Gine had begun draining the tank, not just eager but desperate to hold her baby again, to feel the softness of his skin and to touch those tiny little hands and feet.

Wrapping the wet little boy in a soft towel she held him close, talking softly to him as she returned to the bedroom.

By the time Bardock exited the bathroom she was curled up on the bed, her son pressed against her bare skin as she watched him gurgling contentedly, one of his hands held gently in her fingers, the other waving about. She gently stroked her tail over his, soothing him and simply basking in the contact, at finally holding her baby.

She vaguely noticed Bardock coming to a stop at the end of the bed but by the time she looked up he was moving again, coming to settle beside her on the bed, leaning against the wall.

She wrapped her tail around his as she continued cuddling their baby.

"We need a name." Gine eventually muttered, looking up at her mate.

"You haven't thought of one?"

"No… Well, I thought of a few but I wanted to meet him first. But now that he's here, none of them seem to fit." She stopped for a moment, stroking her son's cheek. "And I thought it was something we should do together." She'd known that having any kind of relationship with their child would be hard for Bardock but she was determined to make sure he was involved.

"Hmph…" Bardock had a pensive look on his face that made her smile.

"We don't need one tonight though. We don't even know him yet." She watched him for a moment longer, her chest so full of emotion that she thought it might burst.

"I love you." It was a whispered sound as she looked into her mates eyes, something neither of them had ever said before but no less true for its silence.

Bardock looked at her for a moment longer before wrapping his arm around her shoulders with a sigh. Gently, so as not to jostle their baby, he pulled her against him and Gine chest felt a little bit closer to bursting.

* * *


End file.
